Protests erupt over house arrest of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal

Tensions escalated in Dallewala village on Tuesday as farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal remained under house arrest for the second consecutive day. Local residents, angered by the restrictions, staged a protest march demanding his release. Villagers expressed outrage over being denied access to meet Dallewal or allowing him to visit the village Gurdwara Sahib, where a peaceful protest is ongoing.

Women farmers and members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhu Pur) and the Sarwan Singh Pandher-led faction marched to Dallewal’s house in solidarity but were stopped by police stationed outside. The house arrest follows a call for a protest at the Shambhu border on May 6, jointly issued by the two farmer organisations. In a pre-emptive move, the Punjab authorities placed several farmer leaders, including Dallewal, under house arrest on May 5 to prevent participation in the demonstration.

Protesters demanded that Dallewal, an Amritdhari Sikh, be allowed to visit the gurdwara to bow before the Guru Granth Sahib. “It’s deeply unjust that he’s not even allowed to attend the religious gathering,” said a villager. The protesters called for his immediate release so he can join the ongoing village-level dharna.

Leaders present at the march warned that if their demands aren’t met soon, they’ll convene a meeting to announce the next phase of their agitation. The situation remains tense as pressure mounts on the administration to reconsider its decision.

Punjab