News Analysis India

Tag: Rakesh Singh Tikait

  • Farmers will head for Parliament if needed, says BKU leader Rakesh Singh Tikait

    By PTI
    SHEOPUR: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Singh Tikait on Monday said that lakhs of farmers in their tractors wouldreach Parliament to seek repeal of the three new farm laws if needed.

    Tikait, one of the prominent leaders of farmer unions which are protesting against the Centre’s new laws on Delhi borders, addressed a huge rally here.

    “If needed, we, on lakhs of tractors will reach Parliament to press for the repeal of the three black laws. 3,500 tractors entered Delhi on Republic Day. These were not hired tractors,” he said.

    Without naming local BJP leader and Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Tikait said he was powerless.

    “The leader you all have chosen has no power. He can’t reply to us on his own. He gets back with files and returns with replies,” the BKU leader said at Sheopur Krishi Mandi.

    Tikait would be addressing rallies at Rewa and Jabalpur in the state on March 14 and March 15, respectively, MP BKU general secretary Anil Yadav had said earlier.

  • Farm laws: Tikait to address rallies in Madhya Pradesh on March 8, says BKU

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Singh Tikait will address rallies on March 8 in Madhya Pradesh to drum up support against the Centre’s new farm laws, a functionary of his outfit said on Monday.

    He will address farmer rallies in Sheopur, Rewa and Dewas on March 8, MP BKU general secretary Anil Yadav told PTI.

    Incidentally, there is an arrest warrant pending against Tikait in connection with a 2012 attempt to murder and rioting case in the state’s Anuppur district, said police officials.

    Tikait had led a BKU protest against a power plant in Jaithari area, which turned violent, leading to injuries to policemen and torching of vehicles, they added.

    Over 100 people, including Tikait, were arrested under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with armed weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC, an official said.

    “However, after being released on bail in 2012, Tikait failed to appear before court for subsequent hearings, after which an arrest warrant was issued against him in 2016. We will take necessary action on the arrest warrant,” Anuppur Superintendent of Police Mangilal Solanki said.

  • No ‘Chakka Jam’ in UP, farmers’ leaders hand over memorandum to DMs

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The farmers in Uttar Pradesh did not participate in the ‘Chakka Jam’ on Saturday following the appeal by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Singh Tikait.

    However, Tikait had made it clear the members of BKU and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) would hand over the memorandum of their demands to respective district magistrates in UP.

    UP police and administration were all prepared to face any eventuality. The police administration had deployed around 144 PAC companies, six paramilitary companies, along with senior officers, at the state and national highways. All the activities were being recorded in the wake of the ‘Chakka Jam’ call by the farmer unions, said Prashant Kumar, Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order in Uttar Pradesh.

    ALSO READ | 50 detained in Delhi for staging protest in support of farmers’ ‘Chakka jam’

    “Besides, there is foot patrolling, drones, and everything is being recorded,” said Kumar.

    “We have been maintaining security since the farmers’ protest began,” Kumar further said, adding that the police department was getting support from farmer organisations and with their cooperation and efforts of the department no untoward incident has happened so far in UP.

    Farmers’ unions announced a countrywide ‘Chakka Jam’ from 12 noon to 3 pm on Saturday as part of the ongoing protest. The farmers have been protesting at different borders in Delhi since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

    In some of the western UP districts including Agra, a number of farmers’ leaders were put under house arrest following the reports of vandalism and unrest during the stir. Later, the protest ended when the joint delegation of BKU and SKM submitted a memorandum of demands addressed to the President of India to the district magistrate.