Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad administration has given an ultimatum to agitating farmers to vacate the UP Gate protest site by Thursday midnight even as union leader Rakesh Tikait remained adamant, saying he would commit suicide but won't end the stir.
A confrontation was building up at the UP Gate in Ghazipur bordering Delhi with heavy security deployed while frequent power cuts were witnessed in the evening at the protest site, where Bharatiya Kisan Union members, led by Tikait, are staying put since November 28.
The "verbal" communication from the district administration to BKU on Thursday comes after three farmers union withdrew their protest against the three central farm laws over the violence in Delhi on Republic Day. "Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey has communicated to the protestors camping at the UP Gate at Delhi border to vacate the spot by tonight or the administration will remove them," a district official told PTI.
However, Tikait, the BKU's national spokesperson, condemned the Uttar Pradesh government and police for the move.
"I will commit suicide but won't end protest until the farm bills are repealed," Tikait said in a message to PTI, claiming threat to his life. He also alleged that armed goons were sent to the protest site.
In a separate statement issued by BKU media in charge Dharmendra Malik, Tikait was quoted as saying that the Uttar Pradesh Police was trying to arrest protestors even when the Supreme Court has found peaceful protests legitimate.
"No violence has taken place at the Ghazipur border but still the UP government is resorting to policy of suppression. This is the face of the UP government," Tikait said. "Our protest will continue," he added.
Tikait, who is one of the farm leaders named in the Delhi Police's FIR over the Republic Day violence in the national capital, said there should be a judicial inquiry into the Red Fort incident.
He said his union has socially boycotted Deep Siddhu, who was involved in the incident at the Red Fort on Republic Day.
