BKU to felicitate Meghalaya guv for backing farmers’ stir

Naresh Tikait says the programme to honour Guv will be organised after the Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat.

MEERUT : The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has decided to felicitate Meghalaya governor Satya Pal Malik for his support to the farmers’ ongoing movement in UP. The BKU will confer the title of ‘ Kisan Ratna’ on him after the Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar on September 5.

Speaking to HT on phone, BKU chief and head of Baliyan Khap Naresh Tikait said that Governor Malik was also the son of a farmer and always raised his voice in support of farmers during their ongoing movement against the three contentious farm laws.

Tikait said that it had been decided to organise a programme after the Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat to felicitate the Meghalaya governor.

“We will confer the title of ‘Kisan Ratna’ on him,” said Tikait and added that the venue and date of the felicitation would be decided after the Mahapanchayat.

“I am grateful that they are thinking of honouring me. I will certainly accept their invitation. They are my people, and I will go,” Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik told HT on phone.

Former MP and Congress leader Harendra Malik also appreciated Governor Malik for supporting farmers in spite of the fact that it could annoy his party’s top leadership. He said that a grand function would be organised to felicitate him in his own land.

Satya Pal Malik originally belongs to Hisawda village of Baghpat district.

He joined national politics after emerging from students’ politics of Meerut college in the 1970s.

Malik served as governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Odisha and Goa before being appointed governor of Meghalaya.

He first backed farmers in March this year, saying that none of the three farm laws were in favour of agriculturists. He also urged the Prime Minister and home minister to not use force against the protesting farmers.

I am grateful that they are thinking of honouring me. I will certainly accept their invitation. They are my people, and I will go SATYA PAL MALIK, Meghalaya Governor