Rakesh Tikait blasts political parties' new love for farmers, says they know whom to vote

National spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union Rakesh Tikait who was in Lakhimpur Khiri on Friday, said that political parties have started giving importance to farmers due to their recently concluded agitation on Delhi Haryana borders. He added that the farmers know to whom to give vote or not

Lakhimpur Khiri: In a blistering attack on political parties, Rakesh Tikait, national president of Bharat Kisan Union (BKU), said that parties have started talking about farmers, despite the fact that they are not showing allegiance to any political outfits or groups or showing inclination to cast votes in their favour. "We are not supporting them during the forthcoming elections. They (political parties) should not rely on us, because we are not extending any support to them," said Rakesh Tikait, In his inimical style,

Tikait further said, "To whom to give vote or not; these tips were told to farmers during their 13-month long agitation cum training programme on Delhi Haryana borders. It was also the training ground where farmers were provided tips on whom to vote. We are not opposing or supporting any political parties. Farmers are wise enough to know whom to vote."

Talking about Lakhimpur flare-ups, Tikait said, "Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni is yet to be removed from the post of union minister. Most probably, he will be removed from the ministerial berth after the completion of elections."

The national spokesperson of BKU reached Lakhimpur Khiri on Friday. District president of the BKU, Dilbag Singh along with several farmers accorded a warm welcome to Rakesh Tikait. Tikait then visited Hathipur Gurudwara to offer prayers, thereafter, he went to Collectorate, where he had a closed door meeting with DM Mahendra Bahadur Singh and SP Sanjiv Suman. Rakesh Tikait also met relatives of farmers and those sent to jail in the counter cases lodged against them during the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Rakesh Tikait also said, before ending the agitation on Delhi Haryana borders we had urged the Union government to form a committee to decide on minimum support price (MSP) and withdrawal of 'false cases' registered against farmers during the agitation, which did not happen yet.