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Union minister Teni’s remarks on Rakesh Tikait and farmers trigger fresh furore
Facing demand for his resignation over the Lakhimpur Kheri episode, the minister was apparently seen describing BKU-Tikait national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait as a “do kaudi ka aadmi” (second rate person).
Union minister of state for home, Ajay Kumar Mishra ‘Teni’, whose son is behind bars for allegedly mowing down protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, stirred a fresh row after a video of his purported speech to supporters went viral on Monday evening.
Facing demand for his resignation over the Lakhimpur Kheri episode, the minister was apparently seen describing BKU-Tikait national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait as a “do kaudi ka aadmi” (second rate person).
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“I know Rakesh Tikait very well, he is a ‘do kaudi ka aadmi’ (second rate person). He fought election twice and lost the deposit. If this kind of a man opposes anyone, it is of no value and so I do not reply to such people as it is of no relevance,” he stated.
The union minister was also purportedly seen making some remarks against a section of media and farmer-protesters in general. “People keep raising questions. There are also some stupid journalists who have no relationship with journalism and want to create confusion by such ‘ulti-seedhi baat’ (unfounded things),” Mishra said.
Led by Tikait, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had staged a 75-hour long dharna in Lakhimpur last week to press for various demands, including sacking of Mishra. Reacting to Mishra’s comments, Tikait said it was natural for him to be angry when his son is in jail for the past one year.
Targeting the minister, Tikait said that he was an accused of Section 120B and the Prime Minister should see whether he deserved to be in the cabinet. He also emphasised that Mishra should tender his resignation.
The BKU leader alleged that a “goonda raj” had been unleashed by Mishra in Lakhimpur and said farmers would soon launch a “mukti abhiyan” to free the place from the minister’s reign of terror.
“This time we stayed for three days, the next time we will stay there (Lakhimpur) for 13 days to end the ‘goonda raj’ of the minister,” Tikait was heard saying. “Being a minister, he (Mishra) can influence witnesses and the case because the police help him. Mishra and his men tried to prevent farmers from entering into Kheri during a dharna, which was staged to demand his resignation and arrest in farmer’s killing case,” he added.
BKU (araajneetik) district president Kulwant Singh, in a press release on Tuesday, stated: “The Prime Minister should remove MoS home Ajay Kumar Mishra from his cabinet for his anti-farmers comments.”
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He added: “The farmers would never tolerate humiliation.”
Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra, however, offered his explanation.
“On being asked by my workers, I had just said that Rakesh Tikaitji was not such a person who deserved my response,” he said talking to mediapersons at his office.
“My workers sought my response on me being called a ‘goonda’ and ‘an accused under Section 120B by him (Rakesh Tikait), to which I said that those having no knowledge of facts were only creating confusion as the case was under trial in the court and charge-sheet had already been filed,” he added.
When asked about his calling a section of media as ‘bewakoof’(stupid), Mishra said: “Bewakoof’ is an Urdu word meaning lack of knowledge.”
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary also criticised Mishra’s remarks through his tweet. “Minister of union government displaying his working style, thoughts and upbringing through his uncivilized comments,” he stated.
Farmers also expressed anger over Mishra’s comments. A farmer in Paswara village, Manoj Malik, said: “The minister’s remarks show what he thinks about farmers. Farmers are angry over such remarks and will teach the BJP a lesson in the 2024 elections.”
“A minister should abstain from such remarks. This would enrage farmers against the government,” said Bharatiya Kisan Sabha’s Jitendra Pal.
“Such remarks are unacceptable and farmers will give a befitting reply in the 2024 election,” stated Jagdish Singh, a former pradhan of Chabaria village in Meerut.
On October 3 last year, eight people, including four farmers and a journalist, were killed in the violence at Tikunia village here during a farmers’ protest against the visit of UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Mishra’s village in Lakhimpur Kheri district.
In this case, Mishra’s son, Ashish Mishra, had been arrested as the main accused. Inputs from agency
