Jagjit Singh Dallewal, coordinator of the SKM (non-political), was discharged from Ludhiana’s Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) precocious Friday evening. Dallewal, who had been admitted to the exigency ward, volition instrumentality to the Khanauri borderline by Friday nighttime to proceed his hunger strike.
A delegation of farmers, led by Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), reached DMCH astir 7.45 pm. Dallewal was escorted from the infirmary by 8 pm. Pandher said the discharge followed a two-hour gathering with constabulary and administrative officials astatine Khanauri. “Authorities agreed to discharge him aft discussions,” Pandher said.
Dallewal, addressing farmers aft leaving the hospital, requested them not to garland him and vowed to proceed his hunger onslaught astatine the Khanauri border.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Patiala Range, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, confirmed the decision. “Doctors checked his vitals and declared him acceptable for discharge. Given his wellness concerns arsenic a cancer patient, we had admitted him for a implicit check-up. With the doctors’ approval, we agreed to fto the farmers instrumentality him to Khanauri,” Sidhu said.
Dallewal had been forcibly taken from the Khanauri borderline by Punjab Police successful the aboriginal hours of November 26, conscionable earlier his planned hunger strike. He began the protestation astatine the infirmary instead, portion different husbandman leader, Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande, commenced a parallel hunger onslaught astatine Khanauri.
The hunger strike, present successful its 4th day, aims to property the cardinal authorities to judge the farmers’ charter of demands, including ineligible guarantees for Minimum Support Price (MSP). The unions person threatened to march to Delhi connected ft connected December 6 if the demands are not addressed.
Farmers criticised the Punjab authorities for forcibly admitting Dallewal, announcing a protestation rally connected December 1 extracurricular Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence successful Sangrur. They accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of acting arsenic the “B team” of the BJP. Sources suggest that concerns implicit the increasing choler against the Punjab authorities influenced the determination to discharge Dallewal.
Farmers nether the banners of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and SKM (non-political) person been stationed astatine the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13, aft Haryana erected multi-layer barricades preventing their march to Delhi. The request for MSP arsenic a ineligible close remains their superior issue.