TIKAIT AMONG 12 BOOKED FOR GATHERING IN AMBALA
AMBALA: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tiktait, state president Rattan Mann and 10 other union leaders were booked in Ambala after they addressed a ‘Kisan-mazdoor Mahapanchat’ in Ambala’s Dhurali village on Saturday.
Despite the imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC), which prohibits the assembly of four or more people in an area, in Ambala at least 250 people had gathered for the mahapanchayat, without permission, said police, adding when officials ordered the assembly to disperse, they refused to leave.
Ambala sadar police station in-charge Suresh Kumar said, “The union did not seek permission to organise a mahapanchayat and also refused to obey public servants’ orders. A case has been registered against them under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code against them.”
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Hamid Akhtar had said that they had been asked to defer the programme on Friday but they refused.
On why he was addressing such rallies in this hour of crisis, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Tikait said it was not a rally but farmers had gathered for a meeting where he told them how to remain safe from the virus.
However, most attendees at the rally were seen flouting social distancing norms. Except for Tikait and the union’s state president Rattan Mann no one was seen wearing a mask.