Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Andolan-jivi” (professional protesters) remarks and asked if people like great freedom fighter Bhagat Singh will also be put in that category.
Addressing a well-attended Kisan Mahapanchayat at Gumthala Garhu village in Pehowa in this district, a third within a week in Haryana, he said the Government should not be under the wrong impression that the protesting farmers will return to their homes without their demands being accepted.
He alleged that attempts were being made to divide the protesting farmers on the lines of region and other considerations, and appealed them to reject any such design.
“They will try to divide you on Punjab-Haryana lines, as Sikh and non-Sikh, Hindus and Muslims..,” he alleged. “The farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s farm laws is nationwide and not limited to Punjab or Haryana.”
“We will win this fight,” he declared.
Without naming the Prime Minister or using his “Andolan-jivi” phrase, Tikait said, “In Parliament, they are saying these are parjivis (parasites). Was Bhagat Singh who sacrificed his life for this nation a parjivi? What about 150 farmers who died during this agitation? Were they parjivis too? Had they gone to Delhi to agitate and die?”
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, the Prime Minister had hit out at those behind the farmers’ protests, saying a new “breed” of agitators called “Andolan jivi” has emerged in the country who cannot live without an agitation and the nation should guard against them.
He said farmers’ organisations are a united force.
Projecting the 40 farmers unions spearheading the agitation as fully united, he said, “We have said we will neither change ‘Panch’ (leader) nor ‘Manch’ (stage).”
Kurukshetra is a land of “kranti” (revolution) and ‘nyay’ (justice) and that is why the “mahapanchayat” is being held here to get justice for the farmers, Tikait said.