Farmers prepared to stay put till October, says Rakesh Tikait

Tribune News Service 

Ghazipur, February 2

Bhartiya Kisan Union national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday hardened his stand and announced that the farm unions are prepared to sit out for many more months.

Tikait was reacting to the heavy barricading with concertina wires besides deployment of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) that has encircled all major protest sites, including Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur.

"We (farm leaders) have been saying for the last 35 years that we will gherao Parliament. But did we ever do that? So why have the police done all this?" Tikait roared from the main stage.

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"These wires have come up to stop the ‘kisan’ from his ‘roti’. Tomorrow, our cultivation will be behind the same wires to help the corporates. This is a fortification done on behalf of the King. I want to say from this stage that our call remains the same. 'Bill wapsi to ghar wapsi', please make preparations to stay here till October," he added.

The BKU leader also clarified that Singhu remained the main centre of the protest.

"There is a lot of speculation. People are saying that Ghazipur is the main centre now," Tikait said addressing the crowd.

"It is all false. We are part of the 40-odd farm unions. Singhu was the main centre and remains the main centre. We all are in this together and I lean on everybody, including Joginder Singh Ugrahanji, for counsel," he said.

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