BKU leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's fast unto death enters Day 4

Faridkot, November 22

While Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Sidhupur) president Jagjit Singh Dallewal continued his fast unto death for fourth day on Tuesday, senior police and civil officers tried to prevail upon the farmer leader to end his fast.

Jaskaran Singh, IG, accompanied by Faridkot SSP Raj Pal Sandhu met Dallewal today and requested him to end his fast as the state government was considering all his demands. The IG said the health of Dallewal was good and he was in high spirits.

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan also met Dallewal and enquired about his well-being. Dallewal is on fast since Saturday. BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur) is staging dharnas in Amritsar, Mansa, Patiala, Faridkot and Bathinda urging the state government to fulfil their demands.

Dallewal is sitting on a fast unto death on Amritsar-Bathinda National Highway at Faridkot. Farmer union demands include increased compensation for land acquired for national highway projects, compensation for crop damage due to inclement weather, cancellation of cases against farmers and bonus for wheat yield loss.

A team of doctors from Faridkot Civil Hospital is keeping a constant watch on the health of Dallewal who declined to end his protest till the government issued a notification to implement the accepted demands of the farmers.

Dallewal is also demanding an inquiry into CM Bhagwant Mann’s assertion that some organisations were holding protests to get funds and it had become a custom. It was after CM’s statement that Dallewal had started fast unto death at the Faridkot protest site on Saturday.

Dallewal said the state government at its meeting with the farmers on October 6 had promised to fulfil their demands but nothing had been done in this regard.

Patiala-Chandigarh road blocked again

• Farmers protesting at the Dhareri Jattan toll plaza on the Patiala-Chandigarh road on tueday again blocked the highway at noon. The resulting traffic jam left commuters harassed
• They have been protesting since Nov 16 over various demands. Some had also started indefinite fast two days ago but changed their plans upon requests from within the union
• Kulveer Singh Sandhu, SHO, Sadar police station, said: “We have created multiple diversions from the road and are making all possible arrangements for smooth flow of traffic”