Rakesh Tikait's tears reinvigorates protest

LUCKNOW: Thousands of farmers showed up at Muzaffarnagar's Government Inter College ground on Friday, following Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Naresh Tikait’s call for a ‘mahapanchayat’ to express solidarity with the protest at the Ghazipur border led by his brother Rakesh Tikait. The meeting decided to strengthen the protest at the Ghazipur border.

Tikait's call for the mahapanchayat came after his younger brother broke down during a media briefing, amid mounting police force at the Ghazipur protest site, which created an impression that the protesters would be forcefully evicted.

A day earlier, Naresh Tikait had almost called off the protest though Rakesh Tikait had decided to stay put at Ghazipur border. However, after a video showing Rakesh Tikait weeping after saying, “they want to destroy farmers" was circulated across the state, an enraged Naresh Tikait changed his decision to wind up the protest, saying his brother's tears would not be in vain. Naresh Tikait heads the Baliyan Khap Panchayat and wields considerable influence in and around Muzaffarnagar.


Regional farmer leaders, village heads apart from Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Choudhary and Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh participated in the mahapanchayat in the home district of Mahendra Singh Tikait, the late leader of farmers.


Farmers from many parts of western UP kept heading towards the Ghazipur border, even as they were stopped by police to ‘check for riotous elements’. The police was committed to finding a solution through talks and it would not do anything illegal, ADG Prashant Kumar told a news agency.