Cancel Australia visit, convene Cabinet meet: Farmer leaders to Mann

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) today asked Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann to return immediately from Australia if he is really with the ‘kisan andolan’ that began on February 13 at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. The fast-unto-death by farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal today entered Day 32 at Khanauri.

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Kaka Singh Kotra, a senior leader of the SKM (non-political) and general secretary of BKU (Sidhupur) said the CM should return immediately from Australia and convene a meeting of the Cabinet to take a decision in favour of the agitating farmers to prove that he was really with them. It was clear now that the CM had not taken the ‘Kisan andolan’ and the Centre’s threats seriously so far, he added.

Surjit Singh Phool, another farmer leader, said Dallewal had also told Punjab ministers a couple of days ago that the state government should convene an all-party meeting and Assembly session to pass a resolution in support of the ‘kisan andolan’. The resolution should then be sent to the Centre, and in case the Union Government did not pay any attention to it, the state leaders should stage a dharna at the ‘Jantar Mantar’ in Delhi, he added.

A farm leader from Haryana, Abhimanyu Kohar, said a narrative was being created by the Centre that the farmers were adamant on the issue of their demands, but it was the Centre that had been adopting a rigid stand. He said they had already sent two letters, written by Dallewal, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi but they had not got any response from the PM so far.

Expressing grave concern over the deteriorating health condition of Dallewal, Kohar said reports of his Ketone body tests were alarming. As per the report of private doctors, his Ketone body level is 6.8 while as the government doctors' report put it at 5.8, which was 20 times the normal permissible limit.

Kohar also warned if attempts were made to remove Dallewal from the morcha site forcibly, the Prime Minister and the Centre would be responsible for the consequences. He appealed to the people, especially youths, to reach the morcha site in large numbers to prevent the government from removing Dallewal.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema today also met Dallewal and enquired about his wellbeing. Earlier in the day, DIG, Patiala Range, Mandip Singh Sidhu, Patiala DC Preeti Yadav, Patiala SSP Nanak Singh and Civil Surgeon Dr Jatinder Kansal also visited Khanauri border morcha and enquired about the well being of Dallewal.