'Punjab Very Much Part of India': Rakesh Tikait Condemns Farmer's Death During 'Delhi Chalo' March

Speaking to ETV Bharat after a meeting of 100 farmer leaders in Chandigarh, Farmer Leader Rakesh Tikait said that the action taken by the Haryana government to foil the 'Delhi Chalo march' of the farmers was wrong while asking the Manohar Lal Khattar led BJP government in Haryana to allow the farmers march ahead.

Chandigarh: A day after a young protester from Punjab died during clashes between the farmers and the police at the Khanauri area along the Punjab-Haryana border during the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march, Rakesh Tikait, National Spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union on Thursday, Feb 22 condemned the police action saying that the protesting farmers were very much part of India.

“Punjab is not different from India. Neither the farmers are going to Parliament, they have to sit on the borders of Delhi for their demands,” Tikait said in a special conversation with ETV Bharat. Tikait's statement came a day after a young farmer Shubhkaran Singh from Punjab's Bathinda died while a dozen policemen were injured in the clashes between protesting farmers and Haryana Police at the Khanauri area along the Punjab-Haryana border.

Tikait while talking to ETV Bharat after a meeting by the United Kisan Morcha over the future course of action, in Chandigarh, said it was wrong on part of the Haryana government to foil the farmers' march. More than 100 farmers leaders from across the country participated in today's meeting in Chandigarh.

'Conspiracy to Defame Punjab': Tikait said that the Haryana government's move to foil the farmers' protest march towards Delhi was a “conspiracy to defame Punjab”. “If Punjab is infamous then Sikhs will be infamous and farmers will be infamous. It is wrong on part of the Haryana government to stop the farmers. Farmers are going to Delhi, so let them go, they know where to sit, why is Haryana stopping Punjab farmers?,” Tikait asked.

He said that if all the farmers' organizations participate in the meetings for the farmers' movement, then only they can find a solution. Tikait suggested that farmers should attend the 5th round meeting for future course of action. “The entire country is dependent on Punjab, so the entire Punjab should work together,” he said.

Tikait said that all the farmer organizations need to work together to make the Kisan Andolan a success. He said that the farmers' organizations are demonstrating at the state level in support of the Kisan Andolan. With regard to the demands, besides legal guarantee of minimum support price for 23 crops, the agitating farmers are seeking a loan waiver, pension for farmers, strict punishment for sellers of fake fertilizers and seeds and dropping of all charges against farmers during past demonstrations.