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Farm leader Dallewal discharged from hospital, says Dec 6 ‘Delhi march’ on
Soon after the release, the farmer unions hinted that they will call off their scheduled protest at the residence of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur on December 1 but clarified that their December 6 march to Delhi and hunger strike will go as planned.
Farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, convener of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), was discharged from Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in Ludhiana late Friday evening. Dallewal will return to the Khanauri border point on the Punjab-Haryana border to continue his fast-unto-death. Farmer leaders, Sarwan Singh Pandher of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), along with 12 others reached Ludhiana to secure Dallewal’s discharge.
Soon after the release, the farmer unions hinted that they will call off their scheduled protest at the residence of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur on December 1 but clarified that their December 6 march to Delhi will go as planned.
Dallewal was whisked away by Punjab police on the intervening night of November 26-27 and admitted to Ludhiana hospital just hours before he was to sit on fast-unto-death at the Khanauri protest site.
The announcement came after senior police officials, led by the additional director general of police (ADGP) Jaskaran Singh (retd) and Patiala Range DIG Mandeep Singh Sidhu met the farmer leaders at the Khanauri border. From the farm unions, Pandher and senior SKM (non-political) leader Kaka Singh Kotra attended the meeting.
“After consultation with doctors at the hospital, (Jagjit Singh) Dallewal is being released after the farmer unions and Dallewal promised that they would lead the protest peacefully at the Khanauri border,” the Jaskaran Singh said. Singh has been a go-to man for the Punjab government for holding talks with the farmer unions.
When asked about the rationale behind admitting Dallewal to a hospital, Jaskaran said, “We (Punjab police) and CM (Bhagwant Mann) sir were concerned about his health as he is a cancer survivor. The intention to take him during the wee hours was to avoid chaos at the protest site.”
Dallewal after coming out of the hospital said his fast-unto-death will continue and he is going directly to the Khanauri border and joining the protest.
“We are protesting against the Centre in favour of demands of farmers and have nothing to do with the state government, but by detaining me the state’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has betrayed Punjab and its people,” Dallewal said, adding, “After the farmer unions announced a protest against the state government from December 1 against my detention, the government released me after finding that their action has backfired. I didn’t go through any medical check-ups at the hospital. The doctors do a simple blood pressure check.”
Dallewal said the purpose of taking him to the hospital was not treatment, but detention. “My phone was confiscated. Even attendants of other patients admitted to the ward were not allowed to use their mobile phones,” Dallewal said alleging that all this was done to stall farmers’ protest.
“CM (Mann) claims that he is acting as an advocate of Punjab farmers, but he is hand in glove with the Union government,” Dallewal added.
Pandher claimed it to be the victory of the people of Punjab.
“The pressure on Punjab police has secured the release of (Jagjit Singh) Dallewal. The Punjab government did the right thing by releasing Dallewal as our fight was against the Union government. It is the victory for the people of Punjab,” Pandher said.
The SKM (Non-Political) and the KMM are spearheading the agitation in support of farmers’ various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP.
Farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
