NEW DELHI: Concerned over another round of farmers’ mobilisation on Delhi’s borders in the wake of BKU leader Rakesh Tikait’s emotional appeal, a majority of BJP’s public representatives including MPs and MLAs from western UP are reaching out to different farm union leaders through personal channels in their bid to convince them to end the ongoing deadlock.
A senior BJP leader from the region said the agitation was on the brink of coming to an end after violent protests on January 26 and Tikait himself had agreed to surrender but just when police reached Ghazipur border, he switched tack to launch an emotional tear-jerker of an appeal to kisans (read fellow Jats) to save him from an alleged assault.
“There were strict directions of no use of force with Rakesh Tikait, who was left with barely 150 people a day after the Delhi violence. He could have been taken into custody but the government decided against use of force as it wanted to keep the door for negotiations open. The administration read him wrong,” a senior party source said.
But while the setback has disappointed them, BJP leaders have not given up on the prospect of restoration of “normalcy".
“There is no denying the fact that entire western UP is highly emotional and Tikait’s tears have made an impact. People who had gone back have returned to the dharna sites. But we are convinced that the agitation will end soon as farmer leaders have also realised the futility of their demand for repeal of the three laws as the Centre has made it amply clear that it will not happen,” a senior BJP leader from the region said.
“Also, unlike many of the Left unions from Punjab, some of them with declared sympathies for Maoists, the UP group is not motivated by extraneous considerations. They will not favour a prolonged confrontation if we are able to convince them that the MSP regime will not be scrapped," he added.
Ever since communal riots took place in the region in 2013, there has been a huge caste polarisation in favour of BJP in western UP. BJP’s overwhelming performance in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2017 assembly polls was largely due to its sweep in western UP.
However, the Jat unrest, if not tackled swiftly, can put a spanner in BJP's works a year before UP assembly polls.
The lawmakers deployed for outreach have been at pains to emphasise upon people that the current dispensation has been farmer friendly and has been careful not to use force despite provocations of the worst kind, like the lawlessness in the Capital on Republic Day and the assault on Red Fort.
“There has not been a single case of use of force against farmers under the Modi government. The message is clear that the government has no issues with peaceful protests and that the government wants to resume talks. The message by the PM that the agriculture minister is still a phone call away explains it,” another BJP leader said.
Some leaders also claimed that they were relieved now with most opposition parties dropping the pretence of being aloof from the protests and openly egging on the farmers to dig in their heels.
There has been a beeline of political outfits at agitation sites like Congress, AAP, Lok Dal and others who have called on Tikait in the past few days and have extended their support to the stir and the confirmation of partisan motives being the fuel will encourage farmers to think anew.