Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Thursday vowed to rebuild the farmers’ agitation, accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of betraying the protesting farmers by forcefully evicting them from the Shambhu and Khanauri border points during a police crackdown.
Dallewal, a senior leader of the joint forum of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), criticised the state government’s actions, stating that while discussions were taking place with the Centre, farmers were simultaneously being detained, which he called an unprecedented betrayal.
Dallewal has been on an indefinite hunger strike since November 26 last year, demanding a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
Though he had started taking medical aid at the Khanauri protest site after the Centre invited farmer leaders for talks in January, he refused to end his fast. On Thursday, he was discharged from a private hospital in Patiala and later returned to his native village in the Faridkot district.
Speaking to reporters in Patiala, he asserted that despite the government’s actions, the farmers’ movement would continue, and efforts would be made to take it across the country.
Condemning the Punjab Police’s crackdown on farmers, Dallewal accused the state government of backstabbing not just the protesting farmers but also the people of Punjab, emphasising that the agitation was aimed at protecting the state's water resources.
Also Read: Farmer leader Dallewal discharged, to resume fast at home
He reaffirmed his commitment to continuing his hunger strike until all the demands of the farmers, including the MSP guarantee, were met.
Dallewal further revealed that after the police action on March 19, he refused to take water and medical aid until the detained farmers were released.
The Punjab Police had detained several farmer leaders in Mohali on March 19 as they were returning from a meeting with a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Chandigarh. The meeting had been convened to discuss the farmers’ demands, particularly the legal assurance of MSP.
However, as the farmers entered Mohali, they were met with heavy barricading, and several leaders were taken into custody.
Following this, the police moved to dismantle the temporary protest structures at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, effectively evicting the protesters. Despite these actions, Dallewal remained resolute, declaring that the agitation could be suppressed temporarily but not erased from the hearts of farmers.
He emphasised that the SKM and KMM would convene to strategise on revitalising the movement and expanding its reach across the country, ensuring that the farmers’ demands remained at the forefront of national discourse.
Also Read: HC upholds Dallewal’s custody, grants free visitor access
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