Politicians rush to UP Gate
A day after the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait broke down and made an emotional appeal to people to provide him with food and water, thousands arrived at UP Gate.
On Friday, the protest site close to Ghazipur in east Delhi saw visits from politicians, with Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia arriving in the morning to inspect arrangements after Delhi government provided water tankers and mobile toilets at the site. “Delhi CM had spoken to Rakesh Tikait who told him that the UP government has snapped power and water supplies. So, we made arrangements of water tankers and toilets and now the farmers can use them. I came here to take a look of the arrangements,” Sisodia told reporters at UP Gate.
“We have support for the farmers, and it is unfortunate that they are being termed as violent and traitors .Why is the BJP not able to hear voice of lakhs of farmers, why are they just listening to the voices of a few capitalists,” Sisodia said, while adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should withdraw the three farm laws.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had also tweeted in support of farmers and Rakesh Tikait and stated that the demands raised by farmers were genuine.
Ghaziabad DM Ajay Shankar Pandey, on the other hand, said water supply and electricity had not been stopped. “Number of water tankers had been reduced as the gathering had decreased. So, a few tankers had been deployed elsewhere. Power lines had some fault and this was not deliberate. Such issues have taken place previously at UP Gate. We have served them a notice to vacate the site and are waiting for a reply,” he said.
Later on Friday, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Deepender Hooda also arrived at the UP Gate protest site where he met Tikait and other farmer leaders at the site.
Jayant Chaudhary, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader, also met Tikait while extending his full support to the ongoing agitation. This was Chaudhary’s second visit to UP Gate. “They say they
want an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-sufficient), but call farmers ‘desh drohi’ (anti national) and try to pressurise them through use of force. Farmers will never bow down this way. I have come here to support the farmers as a common man, while our party fights for their cause,” he added.
Another Congress leader, Ajay Kumar Lallu, who is also the president of UP Congress committee, arrived at the UP Gate site to support the ongoing
movement. Lallu had previously visited UP Gate on December 5 last year. “We fail to understand why the ‘anna daatas’ (food providers) are given dates after dates but the government is not ready to listen to their voices. About 130 farmers have lost their life during the ongoing agitation. Those who indulged in violence have been identified. It, however, seems like they are being protected. We will raise the issues of farmers in Parliament
and even on the streets,” Lallu, said.
The committee of farmers at UP Gate have already decided they will not allow any politicians to share the dais. “Even if a politician comes here to support farmers, they will be treated as guests. We have cases where politicians from the BJP donated us flags and even food items, while not revealing their names. So, anyone who supports the farmers is welcome here,” Tikait said at UP Gate on Friday.
Chandra Mohan, spokesperson and BJP UP state secretary said that “nautanki” (drama) was being played out by some people in name of farmers’ agitation.
“These people have got reduced to zero in politics and have now indulged in negative politics. The BJP has always been instrumental and focussed to increase the income of farmers. Farmers always keep country before self and are very patriotic. Further, we have never termed anyone ‘gaddar’ and never spoken against any community. Over the issue of new laws, we have spoken to number of farmers’ organisations who support the new laws,” he added.