BKU-Tikait extends support to protesting Punjab farmers

Neeraj Mohan

Advertisement

New Delhi, February 17

The ongoing farmers’ agitation, originally rooted in Punjab, has now expanded its footprint in Uttar Pradesh, gaining support from the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait), which has decided to support the agitation if the government fails to accept demands in Sunday’s meeting.

Ready to face bullets

We will face the bullets of this government. But will not allow it to suppress this agitation. Rakesh Tikait

This move comes as farmers in Punjab and Haryana rally for various pending demands, prominently advocating for a guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The decision to support the agitation was made during a national-level meeting of BKU (Tikait) office-bearers convened at Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar.

Rakesh Tikait, a prominent farmer leader from western Uttar Pradesh, characterised the movement as a crusade to safeguard both crops and the future of farming, emphasising the importance of this fight.

He mentioned that if this government was led by Atal-Advani (BJP leaders), they would have listened to the concerns of farmers, but this government is in favour of capitalists. “The government might try to intimidate, but farmers won’t be frightened,” he added.

Urging Uttar Pradesh farmers to participate in a block-level tractor march on February 21, Tikait stated, “We will face the bullets of this government. But will not allow this government to suppress this agitation. The family of Tikait (farmer leader Mahinder Singh Tikait) is ready to face bullets of this government, but will continue to support the farmers.”

With this development, Uttar Pradesh becomes the third state, after Punjab and Haryana, to join the ongoing farmers’ agitation. Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) from Haryana has already pledged its support, demonstrating the growing momentum of the movement.