Farmers say they are united in fight, reject ‘andolan-jivi’ tag
KURUKSHETRA: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Andolan-jivi’ (professional protesters) remarks and asked if people like great freedom fighter Bhagat Singh will also be put in that category.
Addressing a well-attended ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ at Gumthala Garhu village in Pehowa in this district, a third within a week in Haryana, he said the government should not be under the wrong impression that the protesting farmers will return to their homes without their demands being accepted.
Without naming the Prime Minister or using his ‘Andolan-jivi’ phrase, Tikait said, “In Parliament, they are saying these are parjivis (parasites). Was Bhagat Singh who sacrificed his life for this nation a parjivi? What about 150 farmers who died during this agitation? Were they parjivis too? Hence the ‘mahapanchayat’ is being held to get justice for the farmers, he said. “They will try to divide you on Punjab-Haryana lines, as Sikh and non-Sikh, Hindus and Muslims..,” he alleged. “The farmers’ agitation is nationwide and not limited to Punjab or Haryana.” “We will win this fight,” he declared.
SC stays arrest of Tharoor, Sardesai:
In a major relief to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists including Rajdeep Sardesai, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed their arrest in connection with the FIRs lodged against them for their allegedly “misleading” tweets on the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in New Delhi on Republic Day.