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Declare properties, splinter group dares Tikait brothers
With the war of words between the BKU and its splinter group the BKU (Apolitical) intensifying, the latter has asked asked the Tikait brothers to declare their properties accumulated after the demise of their father and farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait in May 2011.
MEERUT The war of words between leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union of the Tikait brothers and the splinter group BKU (Apolitical) has intensified, with both sides out to ‘expose’ each other.
In their latest attack, the leaders of the splinter group have asked the Tikait brothers to declare their properties accumulated after the demise of their father and farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait in May 2011.
Earlier, in a panchayat, the BKU leaders called the rivals ‘jackal’ (coward) and traitors. They also accused the splinter group of working at the behest of the ruling party which wanted to weaken the farmers’ movement through their divisive politics after the 13-month-long farmers’ movement against the controversial farm laws.
The Tikait brother also displayed their might through a panchayat in Kakda village on May 29 which witnessed a huge turnout of supporters, Khap choudharies and thambedars.
Three days after this panchayat, leaders of the splinter group gathered in a programme in Sohjani Tagan village of Muzaffarnagar district on Wednesday.
Launching a scathing attack on the Tikait brothers, national vice president of the group Mangeram Tyagi demanded that the Tikait brothers should declare their properties. “They should share with farmers their properties amassed after the demise of Baba Tikait”, said Tyagi. He also warned the Tikaits not to use foul language, otherwise they would get a befitting reply.
He further said that Rakesh Tikait could evade CBI and ED probe “but would not be able to protect himself against those secrets which we know.”
Interestingly, a year ago, Mangeram had announced to form “ Tikait Sena” to protect the Tikait brothers and the venue of the farmers’ movement. After a year, he joined the splinter group and started attacking the Tikaits.
Dharmendra Malik, national spokesperson of the splinter group, said that the battle for farmers would be fought with the utmost honesty. He accused the BKU of deviating from the path, necessitating the formation of the new organisation. He also raised a question over the continuing movement even after withdrawal of the farm laws. “The slogan was ‘no return home until withdrawal of the laws’. Then why did they continue the movement further?”, he asked.
Meanwhile, president of Tyagi Sabha Bhawan Hariom Tyagi and president of Tyagi Brahmin Samaj Avinash Tyagi extended their support to the new organisation. A few office–bearers of BKU and other organisations also joined the splinter group.
Reacting to the rival group’s verbal attacks, BKU’s district president in Hapur Dinesh Khera accused it of working at the behest of the ruling party to malign the image of the Tikait brothers. “This shows on whose directions they are working”, said Khera who claimed the splinter group leaders were doing it only to please their political masters who might have benefitted them.
He claimed that the farmers were with the Tikaits and the huge crowd that turned up in the panchayat of Kakda was proof. These opportunist leaders would be exposed in a few months, he said, adding the BKU would emerge more powerful.
