Dallewal’s health deteriorates after addressing ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ at Khanauri
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s health deteriorated after his 11-minute address at the “Kisan Mahapanchayat” in Khanauri on Saturday, according to a team of doctors attending to him.
Dallewal felt dizzy and vomited as his blood pressure dropped while he was being carried back to his tent, said the medical team.
After receiving information, former DIG Narinder Bhargav, who is among the officials involved in backchannel talks with the farmer leader, rushed to Khanauri. A team of health department was also put on standby, said officials.
Dallewal had agreed to undergo blood, urine and ECG tests on Friday evening before the Kisan Maha Panchayat. It was only after his reports confirmed his vitals were stable that he was carried to the stage in an ambulance around 2 pm.
Dallewal has been kept in a glass cubicle which is heavily guarded with over 100 tractor-trailers welded with each other and around 700 volunteers manning the place. This has been done to prevent a repeat of the November 26 incident where cops had barged into the tent at Khanauri and took away the farmer leader to a hospital in Ludhiana, sources said.
The team of doctors led by Dr Avtar Singh Dhillon said they were concerned about Dallewal’s health as his blood pressure was fluctuating during the address. While he was being carried back to his tent, Dallewal felt dizzy and vomited as his blood pressure suddenly dropped, Dr Dhillon said.
On the 40th day of his indefinite hunger strike, Dallewal on Saturday vowed to continue the agitation until the Centre provided a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops.
During his 11-minute address, Dallewal appealed to farmer outfits in other states to launch a similar fight for the MSP to send across a message to the Centre that it wasn’t Punjab’s struggle alone.
“This is a do-or-die battle. I will not end my fast till an Act guaranteeing the MSP for crops is enacted. We want a legal guarantee as per the recommendations of the parliamentary committee (on agriculture),” said Dallewal, addressing the crowd from a bed placed inside a makeshift cubicle on the stage.
The ‘mahapanchayat’, which was organised by the SKM (Non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, was the fourth major show of strength by farmers in less than a month.
