Stay away from villages, Naresh Tikait warns BJP leaders

MEERUT : Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief and head of Balyan Khap Naresh Tikait came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday and warned the party leaders to not increase their activities in villages, else the flags of their party won’t be seen on their vehicles.

Addressing the BKU’s monthly meeting at its headquarters in Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar, the farmer leader said, “We had advised the saffron party leaders to refrain from visiting villages but people have reported about their increasing activities and meetings.” Warning the BJP leaders he said, “They should not take our silence as our weakness. They will not find their party flags on their vehicles.”

Tikait cautioned farmers and people about the anti-farmer and anti-people activities of the BJP and said, “It will ruin farmers and farming if the party is voted to power in the coming UP assembly elections.”

Tikait also honoured the volunteers and people who arranged ‘langar’ ( free meal) and other facilities for farmers during the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha’s Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar on September 5.

He called upon farmers to be united to get their demands fulfilled. “They (BJP) will try to divide us but we have to unite people,” said Tikait.

Without mentioning the name of Gathwala Malik Khap’s Choudhary Rajendra Singh, Tikait said “We have some Jaichands among Khap choudharys. They are flying high after their meeting with the chief minister,” and added that an important meeting of choudharys of all Khaps would be convened soon. They may take some important decision and action would be initiated against those trying to sabotage the ongoing farmers’ movement.

To note, on September 28, a Mahapanchayat has been proposed at the same GIC ground in Muzaffarnagar where the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha Mahapanchayat was held on September 5. Malik Khap’s Choudhary Rajendra Singh is conducting meetings in villages to mobilise people to attend the Mahapanchayat on September 28.

BKU leader Rajesh Tikait has already said it would be a ‘ sarkari Mahapanchayat’ to counter their Mahapanchayat.

But many members and leaders of Malik Khap, including Thambedar (regional head) Shyam Singh have expressed their dismay over Rajendra Singh’s efforts to mobilise people to attend the proposed Mahapanchayat.