Farm organisations hold protests against ink attack on Rakesh Tikait, supporters demand Z-plus security

NEW DELHI: Farm organisations across the country on Tuesday staged protests against the attack on farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has said.

Miscreants on Monday threw ink on Tikait during an event organised by a farmers' organisation in Bengaluru following which three people were arrested for the attack.

Demonstrations were held in several states as the protesting farmers demanded strict action against the culprits and an inquiry into the incident, the SKM said.

"According the available reports, protests were held in Delhi, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and other states," the statement said.

In Uttar Pradesh, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) workers and functionaries staged a protest at the district headquarters in Ghaziabad and demanded Z-plus category security for Tikait.

A memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was handed over to city magistrate Gambhir Singh in which they stated that at time of the incident, policemen were present there, which shows that BJP workers had carried out this act.

In Karnataka, farm organisations held protests in Bengaluru, Chikkaballapura, Chamarajanagar, Sagar, among several other places, it said.

SKM has reiterates its demand of strict punishment for the culprits, suspension of officers guilty of negligence, judicial inquiry into the incident and security to Tikait, the statement said.

"Prime accused Bharat Shetty has been pictured with several BJP leaders, including former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddiyurappa," the SKM said.

The attackers were raising slogans of "Jai Modi (prime minister)" and "Modi, Modi", it further claimed.

Tikait had on Monday alleged that the ink attack on him was in connivance with the state government.

"The local police is responsible for it and it happened due to the connivance of the government," Tikait had told reporters.