After bandhs, road blocks, train blocks, arm twisting, blackmailing and political mud slinging failed, ‘farmer leader’ Rakesh Tikait has now fired a fresh salvo at the Centre. In a fresh statement to media in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, Rakesh Tikait threatened that the protesting farmers will cut electricity in 16 states if their demands are not met, reported Hindustan Times.
In a media interaction, Tikait reiterated, “There is no government in the Centre while traders are ruling the country. They have sold out all government institutes and people of the country need to kick them out of the government”.
Alleging that the ruling party is behaving like a dictator, he said, “The central government is planning to sell out the land of farmers while the public faces unemployment and starvation”. Rakesh Tikait also lashed out at the opposition saying, “it’s unfortunate for a democracy that there is no opposition. Farmers’ stir on the road would ideally have been fought in Parliament if the opposition was alive”.
Sharing the roadmap of the protests, Rakesh Tikait announced, “Next, we have to free the state of Gujarat from the clutches of this government”. He had said the same ahead of local body polls in Gujarat last month. However, the BJP registered an unprecedented victory in those polls.
Meanwhile, eight farm group leaders were held on Friday in Ahmedabad for allegedly flouting COVID-19 norms while addressing a press conference at a restaurant, reported New Indian Express. Among those held by Chandkheda police was Bharatiya Kisan Union general secretary Yudhvir Singh. This information was shared by Rakesh Tikait on Twitter.
गुजरात #Ahmedabad Police ने #BKU के राष्ट्रीय महासचिव #YudhvirSingh को प्रेस कॉन्फ़्रेन्स के बीच से गिरफ़्तार कर लिया गया! प्रजातंत्र में ये कैसा पड़ाव? संवाद से डर कैसा? @RakeshTikaitBKU @OfficialBKU @kkuruganti pic.twitter.com/U1XpXs9FBK
— Hind Kisan (@hindkisan_in) March 26, 2021
Rakesh Tikait, in a video released by him on social media, claimed that the Gujarat government arrested the farmer union leaders out of fear.
किसान आंदोलन से घबराई गुजरात सरकार अहमदाबाद में प्रेस कॉन्फ्रेंस के दौरान किया किसान नेता युद्धवीर सिंह जी को गिरफ़्तार ।#FarmersProtest_BharatBandh @CMOGuj @GujaratPolice pic.twitter.com/TZJrfEvDgw
— Rakesh Tikait (@RakeshTikaitBKU) March 26, 2021
While on one hand, Tikait insists that the farmers’ protest is purely farmers agitation against the bills, on the other hand, he can be seen giving political statements at every conference and rally.
नक्कालों से सावधान
— Rakesh Tikait (@RakeshTikaitBKU) March 27, 2021
बंगाल,असम के सम्मानित मतदाताओं जुमलो व झूठ के सपने बेचने वालो को वोट न दे।#NoVoteToBJP @GaonConnection @ravishndtv @OfficialBKU @abhisar_sharma @AHindinews @Kisanektamorcha
Rakesh Tikait has asserted that the kisan andolan will go on for at least five to six months. However, he has not yet clarified which 16 states he plans to plunge into darkness. As of now, there are twelve states where BJP is the ruling party and 6 states where BJP is part of the ruling coalition.
