CHANDIGARH: Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has not ended his indefinite fast even though he drank a glass of water after farmers detained last week by the state police were released from different jails, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said on Saturday.The Punjab government on Friday told the Supreme Court that Dallewal accepted water and broke his fast.Countering the Punjab government’s claims, Kohar said on Saturday Dallewal had made it clear he would take water only after all the farmers are released.”And Dallewal drank a glass of water after farmer leaders were released,” said Kohar, a close aide of Dallewal.”We want to make it clear that a false impression was being given that Dallewal has ended his indefinite fast. His hunger strike continues.” Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the apex court on Friday they dispersed on March 19 the farmers protesting at Khanauri and Shambhu border points with Haryana, and opened the roads and highways that were blocked due to the sit-ins.Protesting farmers and some of their leaders were also detained by the Punjab Police on that day.Another farmer leader, Kaka Singh Kotra, also said on Saturday when Dallewal came to know about the detention of farmers, he refused to take water till they were all released.He took water after the farmers were released, said Kotra.Dallewal (70) is a senior leader of the joint forum of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.He began his indefinite hunger strike on November 26 last year to press the Centre to accept their demands including a legal guarantee to provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.After the Centre invited the farmer leaders for talks in January, Dallewal had started taking medical aid at the Khanauri protest site but did not end his fast.
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