Hundreds of farmers converged at the GIC grounds in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday and protested against the heckling of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait when he had attended a meeting by right-wing groups in the city against the Pahalgam terror attack on Friday.
Cutting across party lines, MPs and MLAs expressed solidarity with the farmer leader at the panchayat called by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait.
Striking an aggressive tone, he said the farmer community would not bear the charge of anti-national being levelled against his family.
Samajwadi Party MPs Harendra Malik and Iqra Hasan, and MLA Atul Pradhan demanded strict action against the hecklers. Ms. Hasan said the Tikait family fought for the rights of farmers and workers, and the harassing of the farmer leader “was no less than a terror attack.”
Two MLAs of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, an ally of the BJP, also turned up to support Mr. Rakesh. Rajpal Balyan, leader of the party’s legislative group in the Assembly, demanded stern action against those who misbehaved. Virendra Kumar, Congress MLA from Jhabrera in Haridwar, also expressed his anguish.
Later, farmers marched to the Town Hall, where Mr. Rakesh was barracked, and paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack.
Local BJP leaders remained conspicuous by their absence. Mr. Rakesh, however, said some of them had expressed solidarity over the phone. The farmer leader didn’t address the panchayat. His supporters said he was rushed to the hospital because his blood pressure shot up.
Meanwhile, Muzaffarnagar police registered an FIR against unnamed “anti-social elements” who heckled Mr. Rakesh, and one person who allegedly pushed him was arrested.
Claims responsibility
In a related development, an obscure faction of the BKU that called itself BKU-Atal has taken responsibility for the protest against Mr. Rakesh. In a press conference in Agra, Amit Chaudhary, national president of the organisation, said Mr. Rakesh was targeted for his “links with pro-Khalisani elements”, and that the protesters were Jats like Mr. Rakesh. “He started wearing a turban after the farmers’ protests, and it is a symbol of Khalistanis. He opposed the abrogation of Article 370 and has now questioned the Pahalgam terror attack,” he remarked.
Published – May 04, 2025 12:09 am IST
