Published 22:38 IST, February 6th 2021
Kisan Morcha slam Tikait for cancelling 'chakka jam' in UP, U'khand without consultation
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Darshan Pal on Saturday, said that Rakesh Tikait had not consulted them before calling off Chakka jam in UP & Uttarakhand
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Hinting at a discord between farm leaders, Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Darshan Pal on Saturday, said that Rakesh Tikait had not consulted with the Kisan leaders before calling off the 'Chakka Jam' in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Stating that Tikait must not have taken such a 'hasty decision', Pal said that Tikai had given a statement to the press before informing SKM - which he did later. The farmers held a 3-hour 'Chakka Jam' peacefully across India in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh etc, as farmers continue to protest for 73 days at Delhi borders.
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SKM: 'Tikait didn't consult us'
Tikait's 3 reasons fo no Chakka Jam
On Friday, BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait cited three reason for not holding a 'Chakka Jam' in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand - claiming evidence of attempts to spread violence. Previously, he claimed that the reason for not having a chakka-jam in the two states is that those farmers can be called to Delhi at any time. Apart from this, he also said that sugar-cane from UP and Uttarakhand were inconvenienced- opting to issue a memorandum to the state government detailing their demands. Chakka Jam was held all over India apart from Delhi, UP, and Uttarakhand, as planned.
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This is not the first time Tikait has been condemned by a farm union leader. Previously, Bharatiya Kisan Union (C) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni accused Rakesh Tikait of selling out the farmer protest movement. Alleging that Tikait is sitting in the lap of the BJP, he claimed that Tikait is also describing the protest as his own movement adding that Tikait had filed two cases against him. Tikait has contested in the 2007 UP Assembly elections from the Khatauli seat with Congress support and the 2014 Lok Sabha polls on a Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) ticket from Amroha - failing to win either.
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Tikait re-energises farmer protests
The Muzaffarnagar Jat farm leader - Rakesh Tikait has been at the forefront of the farm movement at the UP-Delhi borders. With the dip in farmers' protest after the 26 January violence and Red Fort incident, Tikait re-energised the protest as he called for farmers to head to Ghazipur, while breaking down on camera saying, " I will commit suicide, but won't vacate the protest site". His ardent plea evoked a massive response with thousands of farmers camping at Ghazipur. Tikait's call was in response to the Yogi government's order to vacate the Ghazipur protest site within 24 hours - cutting off water, electricity, and internet. MHA later cut off the internet at Tikri, Ghazipur, and Singhu areas, while Haryana too cut off internet in most districts ahead of Chakka jam and fortified Delhi's borders with barricades, nails, barbed wire and more security.
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22:38 IST, February 6th 2021