Differences between Delhi Police, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait over tractor rally route

Vinayak Padmadeo
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 25 

Farmers and police continued to haggle over the route for the tractor rally planned on Republic Day, with the primary disagreement now centering on the rally from Ghazipur protest site.

Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait’s insistence that the farmers’ Republic Day tractor rally will go till Akshardham Dham temple has sent the Delhi Police and Ghaziabad administration into a tizzy.

Police sources said on Monday afternoon that they were still trying to persuade farmers in Ghazipur to stick to the route that they had planned yesterday.

Farmers had originally planned to take their rally towards Anand Vihar for Apsara border.

On Monday, Delhi police officials, including DCP Manjit Singh Sheoran, Ghazipur SHO Prem Singh Negi, and Ghaziabad DM Ajay Shankar Pandey called on Tikait.

However, the officials were unsuccessful in their attempts to pacify Tikait.

“They met us and we have decided to carry the talks over the phone,” Tikait said after the meeting.

He also denied that they were any disagreements about the rally route.

“We are all in agreement that we need a peaceful March.  So there is nothing to worry here,” he added.

Sources, however, have said that the rally will go to till Akshardham.

“Our first plan was to go to Red Fort. Then we agreed for an outer ring road and now they want us to turn near Ghazipur. We cannot agree with this plan. This is final,” a BKU activist said.

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