TIKAIT TO ADDRESS SECOND FARMERS’ MAHAPANCHAYAT IN HARYANA’S DADRI ON FEB 7

ROHTAK: Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait is scheduled to address a ‘Mahapanchayat’ in Dadri’s Charkhi village on February 7, said Sombir Sangwan, the Sangwan Khap chief. On Wednesday, Tikait received massive response at a similar meeting held in Jind’s Kandela village. Sangwan, an independent MLA from Haryana’s Dadri said, “We have called a meeting of all Khaps of the region at Kitlana toll plaza in Bhiwani to discuss the strategy related to the mahapanchayat. The agitation has picked up pace in the district and we are expecting a larger crowd than the Jind’s meeting here.” The three Khaps of Dadri district — Sangwan, Phogat and Sheoran — have socially boycotted Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, Bhiwani-mahendergarh MP Dharambir Singh and former Dadri MLA Rajdeep Phogat. Experts said that Tikait’s decision to address mahapanchayats in areas dominated by the Jat community will send a signal to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-jjp alliance in the state. Rajendra Sharma, professor of political science at Maharshi Dayanand University, said, “The Kandela rally has sent out a loud and clear signal to the ruling BJP-JJP coalition government about the unrest among the Jats, the dominating farming community of Haryana.” Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district, officials denied the protesting farmers to hold a mahapanchayat in the district on Friday. The administration has also banned large gatherings till April 3. The farmers’ unions have said they will go ahead with the meeting against three controversial farm laws despite the administration’s refusal.