Farmer leaders lodged in Faridkot Modern Jail began a hunger strike on Wednesday after some of their fellow protesters fell ill allegedly after eating the meals served to them in jail.Around 225 farmers are currently lodged in the jail, following the arrest of 194 farmers four days ago and the court arrest given by over 50 more farmers over the last three days as part of the ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ launched by BKU (Ekta) Sidhupur.The farmers alleged that the poor quality of food being served to them in jail was making them ill, and that two of their leaders had already been shifted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, after complaining of health problems following their meals.Jagdeep Singh, district president, Patiala, and Sab Singh, block president, Mamdot, began an indefinite hunger strike inside the jail on Wednesday in protest against the alleged mistreatment by jail authorities and to press for a proper jail menu.The state general secretary of BKU (Ekta) Sidhupur, Kaka Singh Kotra, who had been unwell for three days, was earlier admitted to the hospital by jail authorities. Another farmer, Major Singh of Sirja Bhaini village, was also admitted to the same hospital. Several other farmers lodged in the jail, including state senior vice-president Jasvir Singh Sidhupur, were also reported to be unwell, with the farmers alleging that medical facilities were not being provided to them by the jail administration. While the jail authorities declined the allegations, the farmers alleged that they were being served poor quality and unhygienic food on the directions of the state government.The fourth batch of 26 farmers courted arrest on Wednesday under the ongoing agitation, which is aimed at getting the Punjab Government to implement demands earlier agreed to in meetings, including the return of blank cheques taken from farmers by the Land Mortgage Bank and the implementation of a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme on the lines of commercial banks. The farmers are also demanding compensation for their belongings allegedly stolen from the Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites in the presence of police.At the flagging off the fourth jatha, SKM (non-political) national convener and BKU (Ekta) Sidhupur president Jagjit Singh Dallewal alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government had repeatedly gone back on commitments made during meetings with the union. He said the demand regarding blank cheques had first been raised in a meeting with the government on May 18, 2022, and had been reiterated in subsequent meetings, but never implemented.