Though many farmers unions have withdrawn from the farmers’ protest, the Bharatiya Kisan Union, leader Rakesh Tikait has denied vacating the protest site. The Ghaziabad administration on Thursday gave an ultimatum to the farmers to clear all the protest sites, forces were deployed to remove the farmers’ but Rakesh Tikait remained firm and said he will take a bullet if needed but will not end his agitation.
Speaking to the media, Rakesh Tikait, who has been reportedly named in the FIR for the Republic Day violence and has been sent a notice to explain his action, broke down in tears and said that the government is trying to conspire against them.
“They (government) are hatching a conspiracy to kill me in the name of the arrest. Unwanted elements with arms are being sent to the protest site in vehicles with stickers of Lucknow Assembly. I will take my own life, but I won't take back out from the protest till the laws are repealed. The Supreme Court has also justified the peaceful protest. No incident of violence has been reported from the Ghazipur border. Despite this, the government is pressuring us. This is the real face of the Uttar Pradesh government. We will continue to protest and demand a judicial inquiry into the Red Fort incident,” Rakesh Tikait said in the video, which has since gone viral.
Rakesh Tikat’s emotional message has gone viral which has now intensified the farmers’ protest. Reportedly, more farmers from Haryana and western UP started to reach Delhi on Thursday night. Looks like Tikait’s teary eye is turning the Ghazipur border into a new protest site.
It is reported that about 10,000 farmers are expected to join the protests after holding a panchayat meeting and making a resolution.
“Rakesh Tikait’s tears have hurt the hearts of every Indian farmer. This crowd will keep increasing, come and see at 10 am tomorrow (on Friday). We are ready to be beaten and be killed by the police, but we will not move (from Ghazipur protest site),” said Dal Chand, a farmer from Bijnor who is on his way to the Ghazipur protest site.
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After the Red Fort violence UP police launched a crackdown on the farmers, from deploying heavy forces, power cuts and putting up notices on tents.
Tikait also said that he will approach the Supreme Court regarding the trouble the Uttar Pradesh administration is doing to the farmers and has demanded a judicial enquiry for the Republic Day riots.