Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar has claimed that Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallawal has not ended his indefinite fast, but had drank just a glass of water after the state police released the farmers detained from various jails last week.
The Punjab government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that Dallawal had accepted water and broke its fast. Refuting the claims of the Punjab government, Kohar claimed that on Saturday, Dallawal made it clear that he would take water only when all the farmers would be released.
Kohar, a close associate of Dallawal, said, “After the release of farmer leaders, Dallawal drank a glass of water. We want to clarify that the misconception is being spread that Dallawal has ended his indefinite fast. Their hunger strike continues. ”
Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the apex court on Friday that the state government had removed the farmers protesting along the Khanouri and Shambhu border on March 19 and opened the blocked roads and highways due to the dharna.
That day, the Punjab Police also detained the protesting farmers and some of their leaders.
Another farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotra also said on Saturday that when Dallawal came to know about the custody of the farmers, he refused to take water until all the farmers were released.
Kotra said that he took water after the farmers were released.
Dallawal (70) is a senior leader of the United Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha’s United Forum. He launched his indefinite hunger strike on 26 November last year to pressurize the Center to accept his demands, including the legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) (MSP) for crops.
After the Center invited farmer leaders to negotiate in January, Dallewal started taking medical assistance at the protest site, but did not end his fast.
The police released Saravan Singh Pandher, Abhimanyu Kohar, Kaka Singh Kotra and several other farmer leaders on Friday during the March 19 action.
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Pandher was released from Muktsar Jail, while Kohar, Kotra and some other farmer leaders were released from Patiala Central Jail.
After the release, farmer leaders met Dallawal at the hospital on Friday.
