BKU’S Lok Shakti faction extends support to union
NOIDA: Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU)’S Lok Shakti faction, which had ended its protest at Dalit Prerna Sthal on Thursday, extended its support to Rakesh Tikait on Friday and urged its union members to join protests at Ghazipur.
Lok Shakti chief Shyoraj Singhsaid some political leaders and MLAS had infiltrated protests at Ghazipur and allegedly threatened farmers on Thursday night. Hence, he added, it was time to support Tikait.
Singh on Friday issued a video message and asked all Bhartiya Kisan Union-lok Shakti members to reach the Ghazipur protest site to support Tikait. “People in western UP should reach Muzaffarnagar protest site. We have decided to support the Ghazipur protest because supporters of an MLA have reached the site and threatened the protesting farmers. The entire incident has deeply hurt Rakesh Tikait, who broke down into tears. The BKU-LOK Shakti will not tolerate such oppressive move,” he said.
Singh said that he has sent around 200 supporters to camp at the Ghazipur border in support of Tikait. He said that the district administration and police should negotiate with the
farmers and take suitable action and the MLA and his supporters’ involvement was unwanted.
It is also expected that some farmers will march from Muzaffarnagar to Ghazipur border to extend support to Tikait. The police teams have been deployed at the Jewar toll plaza on Yamuna Expressway and at Luharli toll plaza in Dadri. Umesh Bahadur, SHO Jewar police station, said that the police have received directions from senior officials to be alert. “We have not been directed to stop farmers,” he said.
Bku-lokshakti members on Thursday had called off their protest at Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal Sector 95 after a police
team visited them on Wednesday night and informed them they did not have permission to continue. Farmer leaders too said since the protest has lost direction after Republic Day violence in Delhi, they decided to end their protest. They had been camping at the Sthal since December 4 last year.
Rajesh S, DCP Noida Zone, said that the two protests of BKU-LOK Shakti and Bku-bhanu peacefully ended in Noida. “There are no farmers protesting in Noida,” he said. Meanwhile, police teams are still deployed outside the Dalit Prerna Sthal and at Chilla border to ensure the protesters do not gather again.