Will ban politicians' entry in villages, if farmers stopped from reaching Delhi: Rakesh Tikait

Meerut /Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh): Bhartiya Kisan Union National Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday said that if the government does not allow farmers to go to Delhi, the farmers also will not let them enter their villages during elections.

Farmers in Meerut on Wednesday took out a tractor march to reach the collectorate to press for their demand for minimum support price for crops and withdrawal of criminal cases against some farmers who took part in the 2020-21 farmers' protest at Delhi borders.

Authorities set up barriers at several places to prevent farmers from reaching the collector's office, but they were removed by the agitators.

"Putting nails on the road is not justified. If they put nails on our way, we will also do the same in our villages. We also have to do barricading of our villages. If they are not allowing us to reach Delhi, we will not let them enter our villages," Tikait told reporters when asked about obstacles, such as iron nails, being put on roads to prevent farmers from reaching Delhi.

Tikait attacked the Centre saying the BJP-led government is only for industrialists. "If it were a farmers' government, a law guaranteeing MSP would have come into force."

He said that on Thursday a meeting of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) would be held to deliberate on the future course of the farmers' agitation.

BKU's district head Anurag Chaudhary said that barricades were put in three places to stop farmers, but they still reached the collectorate.

In Baghpat also, farmers took out tractor rallies and reached district headquarters at SKM's call.

District BKU President Pratap Gurjar said that if their demands are not met, they will go for an indefinite sit-in and announce support to farmers of Punjab.