Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu appealed to Punjab's farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Saturday to end his indefinite fast and come forward for talks with the Centre to discuss farmers' demands.
"Your health is more important, and your life is precious for the people of Punjab as your leadership will always be needed for the struggle of farmers and farm labourers," Bittu said in a statement.
The Union minister of state for railways and food processing industries said all ministers and senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) inquired about Dallewal's health during the recently-concluded Parliament session and extended their wishes for his wellbeing.
He said the BJP-led Centre has held a series of meetings with farmers to discuss their demands and wants to continue the talks.
Bittu appealed to Dallewal to end his hunger strike and come forward for discussions with the Centre.
He said he understands the pain of farmers as he also belongs to a farmer family.
Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast, was discharged from a private hospital in Patiala on Thursday.
He has reiterated that his fast would continue till the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, were met.
Dallewal is a senior leader of a joint forum of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM). He began his indefinite hunger strike on November 26 last year to press the Centre to accept the farmers' demands.
After the Centre invited farmer leaders for talks in January, Dallewal had started taking medical aid but did not end his fast.
The next round of talks between the farmer leaders of the SKM (Non-Political) and the KMM with the Centre is scheduled to take place in Chandigarh on May 4.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)