Farm leader Dallewal shifted to private hospital in Patiala

The state government’s decision to shift fasting farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal back to Patiala from Jalandhar and admit him to a private hospital has raised many eyebrows, including among his supporters.

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The police shifted Dallewal to a hospital near the Patiala bus stand on Sunday morning. Dallewal’s fast entered the 118th day on Sunday and his shifting to a private hospital has surprised even farm union members, who are confident that now they will be able to meet him.

Before being shifted to Patiala, Dallewal was kept at the PWD rest house in Jalandhar Cantonment under tight security. He was taken there following a police crackdown on farmers at Patiala on March 19.

The decision to keep him at the Jalandhar facility was seen as a well-thought out plan as the farm unions that were agitating at Shambhu and Khanauri borders have negligible presence in the area. These outfits, however, have a much stronger influence in the Malwa belt, so the shifting of Dallewal to a Patiala hospital is a surprising move for many.

Farm union leaders associated with Dallewal had earlier claimed that he had not been drinking water and that “there is now no communication with him” as the police have taken away the phones available with their leader.

No senior official of the state police was willing to comment on the issue.

Meanwhile, agitating farm union members burnt effigies of the AAP government in rural areas in protest against the eviction of farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri.

SKM calls for protests on March 28

Chandigarh: In the wake of two crackdowns on farmer unions on March 5 and March 19, the national coordination committee of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has given a call for nationwide protests by farmers on March 28.

In a statement issued on Sunday, SKM leaders said, “The national coordination committee of the union has called upon farmers to hold demonstrations in all districts on Friday against the police repression.”

The SKM also called upon all farm organisations, including the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the SKM (Non-Political), to join them in the protest and “to unite against repression”.