Chandigarh, Nov 26 (IANS) Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was to begin a fast unto death on Tuesday to press for various demands, including a legal guarantee law for the minimum support price (MSP) on the crop, has been detained by Punjab Police.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher alleged that Dallewal was forcibly taken away by police from the Khanauri border, the protest site at the border of Punjab and Haryana.
He said the police entered the pandal at around 2.30 a.m. and detained Dallewal, who was preparing to start a hunger strike from the morning.
Farmer leaders also alleged that the pandal has also been vandalised.
Dallewal announced on Monday that he would begin a fast unto death on Tuesday. He said he was ready to sacrifice his life for the demands of the farmers.
Condemning the police action, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Pandher demanded his immediate release. “We need to know where he has been taken and demand his immediate release. Otherwise, the consequences in the future will not be favourable.”
He said the Modi government at the Centre and the Punjab government often accused the farmers of not protesting peacefully. “It has been almost nine months, yet not a single one of our demands has been fulfilled.”
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had earlier announced plans to intensify their agitation in support of farmers' various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP, by starting a fast unto death.
They had announced to march on foot towards Delhi on December 6. The leaders had also announced that Dalewal would go on a fast-unto-death protest at Khanauri from November 26.
The announcement to start the march towards the national capital came after two attempts to reach Delhi by farmer groups on February 13 and February 21 were stopped by police.
Farmers have been sitting at the borders of Shambhu and Khanauri since February 13. The last meeting with the government took place on February 18 and remained inconclusive.
In the February 21 protest, a young farmer Shubkaran Singh lost his life at the Khanauri border, besides many others were injured during clashes between farmers and the police.