Govts change when people gather: Tikait
Takes a dig at Union agri minister Tomar; says those in power are attempting to encourage hoarding of grains
ROHTAK: Taking a dig at Union agriculture minister Narendra Tomar’s remark that mere crowds do not lead to revocation of farm laws, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday said that when people gather, governments change.
On Sunday, in Gwalior, Tomar had said that the Union government is ready to hold talks with farmers protesting against three farm laws and that mere gathering of crowds does not lead to repealing of laws. He asked farmers to point out which provisions in the said laws are against farmers.
Addressing a ‘Sarv Khap Kisan mahapanchayat’ in Sonepat’s Kharkhoda, Tikait said government could find it difficult to stay in power if the farm laws are not repealed.
“People in government are attempting to store food leading to increase in hunger. They are traders of hunger and want to make a business out of it,” the BKU spokesman said.
Tikait said the government is behaving like an uncontrollable bull and the farmers need to give a punch on the nose to keep it in control. “This agitation is not just of farmers but of the poor people, daily wagers and other sections of the society. If these laws will be implemented, government will bring in more laws like these,” he added.
Going firm on the demand to repeal farm laws, Tikait said, “The Union government should know that if farmers can destroy their own standing crops, you are nothing before them.”
“I urge the farmers that the time has not come to destroy the standing crops. The government is increasing diesel and petrol prices but they do not want to bring a law on the minimum support price. There are many things at stake. It is not only the farm laws, but the Electricity (Amendment Bill), the Seed Bill, etc. What kind of laws do they want to bring?,” Tikait added.
BKU (Charuni) state chief Gurnam Singh Charuni said people should boycott products of companies owned by Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and Baba Ram Dev.
“People should restrict the entry of BJP-JJP leaders in their respective villages and lodge protest against them. Baba Ram Dev was advocating decrease in fuel prices but now he is mum,” Charuni added.
They are addressing only those rallies which were prescheduled he asked the khaps and farm unions to not conduct ‘mahapanchayats’ in Haryana. Even as Tikait urged farmers not to destroy their crop, farmer Mandeep Kumar, of Bhaini Surjan in Rohtak, clears his wheat crop on five acre land. Mandeep said if the government does not accept their demands, other farmers will follow his footsteps.
Centre should resume dialogue, says Hooda
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday said that the central government should take an initiative of resuming dialogue with the protesting farmers to resolve the deadlock over the farm laws.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Hooda attacked the BJP-JJP government in Haryana over its policies which have “led to job losses”. “The government is cancelling one recruitment after other. First, the recruitment of village secretary, then PGT Sanskrit and now TGT English have been cancelled,” he said.