Punjab Officials Meet Dallewal, Urge Him to Take Medical Help

The veteran farm leader, however, refuses to take medical aid

- Karam Prakash

PATIALA: A day before the Supreme Court (SC) is scheduled to hear a contempt petition against the Punjab chief secretary and DGP for non-compliance of an order directing medical aid to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite hunger strike, the Punjab government on Sunday stepped up efforts to convince Dallewal to take medical aid.

However, the veteran farm leader, whose fast-unto-death entered 41st day on Sunday, refused to take medical aid.

Former deputy inspector general Narinder Bhargav along with Patiala SSP Dr Nanak Singh held a closed-door meeting with the farm union leaders to convince Dallewal to take medical aid.

Thereafter, the Patiala district administration, led by the additional deputy commissioner and the Patran SDM met Dallewal and enquired about his health.

These last-ditch efforts by the Punjab government are made to convince the farm leader as the deadline to comply with the December 20 order of the apex court to provide medical aid ends Monday morning.

The SC on January 2 had given the Punjab government four more days to comply with the order.

When asked about the outcome of the meeting with Punjab government officials, farm leader Kaka Singh Kotra said that the meeting remained inconclusive as the earlier ones.