Bhim Army chief meets Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur; extends support to strengthen protest

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Az on Friday met Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leer Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur on Delhi-Uttar Presh border and said Dalit group will provide all help to strengn agitation against new farm laws. Az reached UP Gate at around 6:30 PM with nearly 100 members of Bhim Army.

'Don't deviate from path of n-violence' 

Dalit leer said Tikait is "pride of western Uttar Presh" and he would fight shoulder-to-shoulder with farmer leer. "We stand firm with our farmers and will provide all help needed to strengn ir protest," PTI quoted Az as saying. He claimed that government will "try every trick to end this movement and instigate farmers to resort to violence". "I appeal to you t to deviate from path of n-violence," he said.

Meanwhile, farmers protesting Centre's new agri laws will observe 'Sbhavna Diwas' on Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary on Saturday and hold a day-long fast, farm leers said on Friday, and asserted that ir agitation will gain strength as farmers in large numbers will join m in days ahe.

dressing a press conference at Delhi's Singhu border, leers slammed ruling BJP at Centre and accused it of trying to "destroy" "peaceful" agitation against agri laws. " conspiracy of ruling  BJP to destroy this farmers' movement is w exposed to all," said Jagjit Singh Dallewal of Bharat Kisan Union (Sidhupur). 

RE | Home Minister Amit Shah cancels 2-day Bengal trip after mir blast near Israel embassy

RE | Delhi: Low-intensity IED goes off near Israel Embassy, NSA Ajit Doval briefed

farmer leers said fast will be held from 9 AM to 5 PM and appealed to people of country to join m. farmer leers also asserted that number of agitators at all prominent protest venues—Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri—is swelling after police allegedly tried to remove farmer leer Rakesh Tikait from Ghazipur border on Thursday night. 

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) supporters stayed put on Delhi-Meerut Expressway on Friday as crowd swelled re, twithstanding Ghaziab ministration's ultimatum to vacate UP Gate protest site where security force in large numbers was re-deployed.

On a call of BKU, more farmers from western Uttar Presh districts such as Meerut, Baghpat, Bijr, Muzaffarnagar, Morab and Bulandshahr reached UP Gate by early morning to join stir, even as security forces at protest site thinned out overnight.

RE | SC panel holds talks with 17 farmer organisations from 11 states over Centre's Farm Laws

RE | Singhu clash: Delhi police arrests 44 including sword-brandishing man who attacked SHO

(With PTI inputs)