Rakesh Tikait, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader who has been one of the main voices in the farmer protests, has attacked Mamata Banerjee over Minimum Selling Price (MSP). He said he would take the protests to West Bengal in the coming days as farmers are not getting justified rates for their crops. Notably, during the months of April and May, assembly elections will be held in West Bengal.
While talking to IANS, Tikait further added that WB is near the sea. The farmers that are involved in fishing are troubled. As imports have increased in that region, farmers are losing their lives in Bengal. He further added that he is not bothered by the upcoming elections in the state but only wants to raise awareness.
He added that a mahapanchayat would be soon organised in West Bengal.
Rakesh Tikait, farmer protests, controversies and international connections
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait is one of the prominent names leading the farmer protests on Delhi Borders. He was named in the FIR registered by Delhi Police in connection to the January 26 riots in Delhi under several sections including section 307 (attempt to murder), section 147 (punishment for rioting) & 353 (assault/criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).
Son of famous farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, Rakesh Tikait had once supported the farm bills. However, by the end of 2020, he flipped and started talking against the Agriculture laws. He was also named in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. According to the residents of Muzaffarnagar, Rakesh Tikait and his brother, Naresh, had both been “primary culprits” for the gruesome communal flare-up witnessed by the town. Rakesh had reportedly attended the mahapanchayat on September 7, and the police had booked him for whipping up communal passions through his incendiary speeches.
Recently, Tikait accidentally revealed international connections to the farmer protests. He said the organisation he is associated with has its branches in 73 countries and he has an alliance with the Indian branch. The BKU spokesperson further added that the organisation he is associated with has also been protesting in Brazil, where efforts are being made to convert Brazillian labourers to farmers. “Brazil main hum mazdoor se kisaan bana rahe hai”, said Rakesh Tikait.
Answering to Prabhu Chawla’s question on whether they have been drawing support from all the 73 branches of the organisation across the globe, the BKU leader confirmed that all those members whose ideological preferences are similar to his have been supporting him.