Not here to seek votes, contest elections, says Rakesh Tikait
Not wary of the politicians who are holding meetings or rallies in light of our protest, say farmers
GHAZIABAD: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday said he has no intention to contest election as the farmers are continuing with their agitation in a peaceful manner, adding that he is not wary of politicians who were conducting rallies or meetings.
Politicians such as Jayant Chaudhary from the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have been conducting mahapanchayats in western Uttar Pradesh ever since Tikait made an emotional appeal from the UP Gate protest site on January 28. On Wednesday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addressed a kisan mahapanchayat in Chilkana area of Saharanpur district.
“If politicians are going to UP they can go... We cannot deny anyone or let anyone take advantage (of the farmers’ agitation). Why doesn’t the ruling party take back the farm laws and spread word that they helped farmers by repealing the laws. We don’t have to fight elections and have no concern with votes or elections. We are here just to demand repeal of the three farm laws and a new law on minimum support price,” Tikait told reporters at UP Gate site Wednesday morning.
Back in 2007, Tikait had contested the state assembly elections from the Khatauli seat and in 2014, the Lok Sabha elections from Amroha on an RLD ticket.
Farmers have been protesting at UP Gate since November 28, 2020, several of whom are from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Both states go to the polls in 2022.
After Tikait’s widely televised, tearful appeal late January for people to join him and bring him water, politicians from opposition parties flocked UP Gate to show support to the farmers’ cause and also met the BKU leader.
Politicians who visited UP Gate after the appeal include Delhi’s deputy chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia, Rashtriya Lok Dal Jayant Chaudhary, Uttar Pradesh Congress committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu, and senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Deepender Hooda, while many others have spoken to Tikait over the phone and extended help and support.
The site also saw visits by Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Singh Chautala, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, besides a delegation comprising former Union minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party, DMK’S Kanimozhi and Trinamool Congress’ Saugata Roy and others.
“We are continuing with our work and politicians will do their work. It has always been seen that politicians try to garner votes from various agitations. We have given a deadline of October 2 to the government. But they are not talking to us and there has been no message for talks after January 22. But we would like to tell them, in any case if the farmers return without their demands having been accepted, the government will surely face repercussions during elections,” said Digambar Singh, state president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union’s youth wing.
Other farmers’ leaders at UP Gate said that politicians will indulge in politics.
“It is time, though, that they cast politics aside and come join the farmers for their cause,” said
Jagtar Singh Bajwa, a farmer leader from Uttarakhand and member of the UP Gate farmers’ committee.
He added that a decision on Wednesday was taken by the farm unions’ core-committee at Singhu border that there will be a rail roko (stopping railways) call for February 18.
Earlier, the farmers’ leaders had given a call for chakka jam on February 6 but farmer leaders curtailed it in Uttara Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
“Ours is a non-political agitation and now it is in the hands of farmers and the common man. It is also not in the hands of any neta (politician). It is our fight, and we are using our own resources. Politicians will do
their bit and many have come here. But we have not allowed them to use our dais,” said Rajpal Sharma, national general secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Union.
Tikait on Wednesday was seen sweeping garbage with a broom and cleaning clutter which had collected near the farmers’ camp, adjacent to the heavy barricading done by the Delhi police at the UP Gate border.