Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh): Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait Sunday asserted that they would thwart all attempts of the Centre to turn the ongoing protest by farmers into ‘violence that followed anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh’ and other areas in Delhi in February.
“The Union government wants to make the Nirankari Maidan at Burari as a flashpoint for another re-run of the violent anti-CAA protests in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area in February. We will not let the government succeed in its attempt,” Tikait told IANS.
“If we reach the Burari ground, we will be accused of planning a protest similar to the Shaheen Bagh. We will not allow a repeat of the anti-CAA protests incidents with our farmers,” Tikait added.
Several farmer leaders from western Uttar Pradesh led by BKU leader Tikait will soon lead a convoy of Uttar Pradesh farmers at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in east Delhi to participate in the protest against the three central farm laws.
The farmers from western UP plan to march in solidarity with the protesting farmers from Punjab and Haryana in the national Capital.
He said that the situation will be clear by Sunday afternoon as for their strategy. “A meeting is going on across the Singhu border on this issue; the central government must listen to our demands.”
Tikait said: “Why does the Union government want to meet the farmers at the Nirankari Maidan? If they want to hold a dialogue, they can directly meet our farmer leaders and talk to them.”
Earlier, he had said that the Centre must understand the problems faced by the farmers and only then could talks be held.
The BKU has appealed to farmers across the country to hold similar protests against the three farm laws.
IANS
