CHANDIGARH, Dec 15: Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, along with Ministry of Home Affairs Director Mayank Mishra, visited farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a hunger strike until death, to check on his health.
The 70-year-old Dallewal, a cancer survivor, has been fasting at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26, urging the government to meet the farmers’ demands, notably a legalized minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Yadav stated to the press, “We came to check on Dallewal’s condition.”
He noted that Mayank Mishra had been specifically dispatched by the Government of India.
Also present during the meeting at the Khanauri border were Deputy Inspector General of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh from Patiala, and Patiala Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav.
Prior to visiting the protest site, Yadav held discussions with farmer leaders Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande, Kaka Singh Kotda, and others.
This visit by DGP Yadav followed a Supreme Court directive for immediate engagement between government representatives and Dallewal.
The court emphasized the necessity for medical assistance and encouraged Dallewal to conclude his indefinite fast, stating that his life is invaluable.
Medical professionals have advised hospitalization for Dallewal, citing his weakened state due to the prolonged fast.
Farmers organized under the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM have been stationed at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 after their attempt to march to Delhi was obstructed by security forces.
In addition to a legal MSP guarantee, farmers are seeking debt forgiveness, pensions for agricultural workers, a freeze on electricity tariff hikes, withdrawal of police cases, and justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
They are also demanding the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 and compensation for the families of farmers who lost their lives during previous protests in 2020-21. (Agencies)
