Lucknow: Calling Defence Minister Rajnath Singh a ‘caged parrot’ in the Narendra Modi government, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait has said that issues of farmers will be resolved in a minute if he the former Uttar Pradesh minister is given a free hand.
After taking Western Uttar Pradesh by storm, the farmers' agitation reached Central and Eastern UP on Wednesday when BKU held a Kisan Mahapanchayat at Barabanki, just 40 kms away from state capital Lucknow.
“I guarantee that the impasse would end in a minute if Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is given a free hand to hold talks with us. But this government is stubborn. It has made him a ‘caged parrot’. The government should change its attitude and listen to the voices of agitating farmers to repeal Farm Laws,” Tikait said in his address to farmers.
Tikait said that Barabanki opens doors to Purvanchal (east UP). “It is important for us to create awareness among farmers in this region how these three Farm Laws are going to take away our livelihood,” he said.
Tikait announced that the BKU will hold Kisan Mahapanchayat in all districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh to unite farmers and continue their campaign against the three farm laws till they are repealed. “If the government is not willing to withdraw these laws, then we will also not go back to our homes and continue our agitation,” he declared.
“These laws will make us slaves into the hands of capitalists. They divided people on religious lines after coming to power in 2014. We will not sit quietly if any new attempts are made to divide us,” he warned.
On farmers opposing Union minister Dr Sanjeev Balyan, Tikait claimed that he is feeling suffocated in the Modi government and unable to express his true feelings for agitating farmers. “We voted for the BJP government but now the same government is not with us. Instead, they are out to ruin us,” he fumed.
Tikait said that if this government continued in power then farmers will have left with no choice than to sell their lands. “Farmers are not getting MSP. Prices of power, diesel and petrol are spiraling. In such a situation, how will we survive. The government must change its attitude and withdraw the new laws,” he urged.
