Farmers respond to Tikait call, destroy crop
On a call given by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, three farmers in western Uttar Pradesh have destroyed their crops in the last 24 hours in protest against the three contentious farm laws.
The first incident was reported from Kulcahana village in Bijnor when Sohit Ahlawat destroyed his 6 bigha wheat crop by running a tractor over it on Saturday.
The farmer claimed he followed the direction of his leader Rakesh Tikait. “After destroying my crop, I am going to join him at Ghazipur border,” said Sohit. As soon as a video of his act went viral on the social media, another farmer, identified as Tony, mowed down his four bigha wheat crops under the wheels of a tractor in Telipura village in Bijnor on Sunday.
“Till the three farm laws are not repealed by the Modi government, farmers will continue destroying their crops. If needed, we will burn all our crops,” said Tony. The third incident was reported from Bhaisi village under Khatauli police station in Muzaffarnagar where a farmer Guddu Chowdhary destroyed his wheat crop in 10 bighas by running a tractor over it. “When we are not getting a minimum support price, then what is the use of growing crops? We will now go to join Tikaitji to support our stir,” Chowdhary said.
Meanwhile, a high-profile BJP’s damage-control team, led by the former Union minister Sanjeev Baliyan, on Sunday faced the ire of agitating farmers in Bhainswal village of Shamli district in Western UP. On Sunday, Baliyan reached Bhainswal village in Shamli. On learning of his arrival, hundreds of agitated farmers gathered in the village to stop the BJP team’s entry. They parked a tractor to block the route.
Accompanied by Bhuendra Chowdhary, Panchayat Raj minister in Yogi cabinet, and BJP MLAs, somehow, managed to enter the village only to face the ire of farmers. Leader dares Delhi Police to enter Punjab: Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) President Joginder Singh Ugrahan dared Delhi Police to enter Punjab to arrest the Red Fort violence accused.
At a massive show of strength by farmers and farm labourers from the Malwa region of Punjab at Barnala town, he said it was for the first time in history the protest of such a big scale in India mounted a challenge to a "fascist and communal government". He was addressing a 'maha kisan-mazdoor rally' that saw tens of thousands of farmers and farm labourers to protest the Centre's three contentious farm laws. He said the rally was historic as the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) along with Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union came together.