Farmers leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal (C), Rishipal Ambawat (R,) Inderjit Singh (2ndL), Yudhvir Singh (L,) and others.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Chandigarh: Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was to begin a fast unto death to press for farmers' demands, was allegedly forcibly removed from the Khanauri border point and taken to a Ludhiana hospital for a checkup on Tuesday.
Farmers claimed that Dallewal, 70, was taken away by police as if he was "a gangster or a terrorist".
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher alleged that Dallewal was forcibly picked by police early on Tuesday from the Khanauri border point as he slammed the Bhagwant Mann government for the police action.
Meanwhile, farmers went ahead with their programme and said farmer leader Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande will sit on a fast unto death in place of Dallewal.
Calling it a "decisive battle", they asked the Centre to resume talks with them in the next 10 days to resolve their issues.
The Punjab Police action came after Dallewal gave a call for starting a fast unto death on Tuesday to demand a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops. He had also asserted that he was ready to sacrifice his life to get the farmers' demands accepted.
A senior Punjab Police officer said Dallewal was taken to the private Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in Ludhiana.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu said the administration was concerned about Dallewal's age and health in the wake of his fast-unto-death call.
"Considering his health and seniority, the administration decided that his proper medical checkup was important. We are getting his medical checkup done at DMCH, Ludhiana," said Sidhu.
Claiming that the police forcibly removed Dallewal from the spot early on Tuesday before he could begin his fast unto death, Pandher said he strongly condemned the act and demanded his immediate release.
Farmers claimed that a police team of 250 personnel reached the Khanauri border at around 2:30 am and forcibly took Dallewal away.
Initially, the farmers were not aware of Dallewal's whereabouts but later learned that he had been taken to the DMCH.
Later, addressing the media at Khanauri border point, Pandher lashed out at Mann for the Punjab Police action and said it was the same chief minister who used to claim that he was with farmers and was fighting with the Centre as their advocate.
He asked the chief minister why the Punjab government took such a decision.
"Our issues are concerned with the Central government. Why did the Punjab government take such a decision? Our elderly and senior farmer leader was taken away after misbehaving with him," he said while referring to Dallewal.
Pandher said their agitation will continue and farmer leader Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande will now sit on a fast unto death.
"I appeal to farmers to join the protest. We have reached the decisive battle," he said.
Pandher asked the Centre to hold talks with them within 10 days and bring a concrete proposal to resolve their issues or else they will head towards Delhi on December 6.
Farmers have already given a call to march towards Delhi on December 6.
Farmer leader Hardojhande said Dallewal was forcibly taken away as if he was "a gangster or a terrorist".
Farmer leaders accused the Punjab government of trying to make their programme of fast unto death a flop.
Another farmer leader Kaka Singh said police arranged a phone call with Dallewal and he (Dallewal) said that he will not take anything at the hospital.
Dallewal had sat on hunger strikes in the past to press for farmers' demands.
Meanwhile, Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu accused the Mann government of orchestrating Dallewal's "detention".
"Detention of farmer leader Dallewal ji is orchestrated by the Bhagwant Mann government. No central agency is involved in his arrest. It is purely the work of the state police, aimed at shifting the blame onto central agencies to divert attention from the real issues. The central government always works for the welfare of farmers and does not engage in such tactics," Bittu said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring asked the Centre and the Punjab government to address the issues of farmers.
"The arrest of farmer leader @jagjitdallewal1 is deeply disheartening. I request both @mygovindia and @PbGovtIndia to work together to address the genuine concerns of farmers. This issue affects every Punjabi, and meaningful solutions can only come through actual dialogue and understanding, not arrests. We need to work towards a collective solution," he said in a post on X.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had earlier announced plans to intensify their agitation in support of farmers' various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP, by starting a fast unto death.
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.
The protesting farmers have accused the Centre of not taking steps to address their demands, stating that it had not held any talks with them regarding their issues since February 18.
Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.