Dallewal kept under strict vigil at Jalandhar rest house

Fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been kept under a tight security arrangement at the PWD rest house in Jalandhar Cantonment with security personnel tasked with foiling any attempt by farmer leaders to reach him, according to officials.

Dallewal’s fast entered 117th day on Saturday.

Earlier, an official had said that they had cordoned off the rest house to thwart any attempt by members of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Sidhupur) — Dallewal-led outfit — to enter the premises.

The farmer leader was shifted to the facility following a late-night drama during which he was taken to multiple locations after his detention from Mohali in a police crackdown on March 19.

The decision to keep him at the Jalandhar facility seems to be a well prepared plan as the outfit has negligible presence in the area. The union has influence in the Bathinda-Faridkot area, over 120 kilometres away from Jalandhar.

Members of the union led by Kulwinder Singh Mashiana had lodged a protest outside the venue on Friday. Four farmers associated with the union were detained for a brief period by the police.

For the past two days, no one has turned up at the site, said an official, adding that every vehicle passing through the area is being checked.

Farm leader refused to drink water, claims union

Meanwhile, Mashiana claimed that Dallewal has not been drinking water.

“We talked to one of his personal assistants over the phone. He informed us about this. Later, the police took away the phone available with them,” he said.

Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur said,” The farmer leader is under round-the-clock medical supervision and doctors are checking him at regular intervals.”