'They want to follow Taliban': BKU-Bhanu chief slams Rakesh Tikait on Bharat Bandh

In a veiled attack at Rakesh Tikait and framer unions on the 10-hour Bharat Bandh, Bharatiya Kisan Union-Bhanu national president Bhanu Pratap Singh said that it reflects they intend to follow the footsteps of Taliban as country's economy gets adversely affected by such activities.

"They (Rakesh Tikait) call themselves 'Kisan neta and then announce Bharat Bandh, which affects economy and farmers. How does it even benefit anyone? They want to follow in the footsteps of the Taliban by continuing similar activities," Bhanu Pratap said.

"I would request the people not to support the Bharat Bandh," he said.


Meanwhile, Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary reached the protesting site at the Ghazipur border to support the Bharat Bandh but the agitating farmers asked the Delhi Congress chief to leave their site of protest.

"We told him that we thank him for his support during Bandh but ours is an apolitical protest and platform. We announced earlier that we would not allow political parties on our platform. So we requested him to protest a little distant from our site. We are not opposing," BKU leader Praveen Malik said.

"I can understand their situation. This is a farmers' issue, Congress will protest on the streets. If farmers ask us to leave from here, we will go back. We have come here for farmers, there is no political agenda," Anil Chaudhary said.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a coalition of farmers' unions, has called for a nationwide Bharat Bandh today to mark the first anniversary of the enactment of the three farm laws.

The bandh has garnered support from more than 500 farmer organizations, 15 trade unions, political parties, six state governments and varied sections of society.

State governments of Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Punjab, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have extended their support to the Bharat Bandh protest.

Farmers have been protesting at different sites since November 26 last year against the three enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Farmer leaders and the Centre have held several rounds of talks but the impasse remains.