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If LS elections are held honestly, BJP’s defeat is certain, says Rakesh Tikait
“Lord Ram is a way of life and should not be aligned with any political party. BJP misled people in the name of Ram and religion so that they could not pay attention to important issues like land acquisitions.”
Rakesh Tikait, the national spokesperson for Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), on Saturday said that farmers must organise protests to assert their rights. He highlighted that in areas where organisations and movements are weak, the government would grab land, citing the situation in Chhattisgarh where the government is acquiring land from vulnerable tribals under the guise of donations.
Tikait was addressing the farmers during a one-day workshop held at Hanuman Vatika in the Dhumanganj area of Sangam city.
“Lord Ram is a way of life and should not be aligned with any political party. BJP misled people in the name of Ram and religion so that they could not pay attention to important issues like land acquisitions. BJP has adopted the saffron color of saints and is indulging in vote politics with this,” he maintained.
The BKU leader criticised the construction of Lord Ram’s temple in Ayodhya, stating that a durable material like solid stone should have been used instead of fiber, which lasts only four to six years. “Lord Shri Ram is thousands of years old. His temple is being made using fibre which is durable for just four to six years. This is wrong. If you believe in Shri Ram then the temple should also have been made of solid stone,” he said.
Referring to BSP chief Mayawati as a BJP supporter, Tikait suggested that her advice should have been sought in the temple construction, considering her expertise in decorating Lucknow with stones. “Ram’s temple should have been built as a symbol of the unwavering faith of the people in him,” he added.
The farmer leader also stated that if the Lok Sabha elections will be held honestly then BJP’s defeat is certain.
Discussing the wrestlers’ strike in Delhi, Tikait argued that the absence of a high-level inquiry on any issue is disheartening. Regarding the plight of farmers in UP and Bihar, he termed the governments as anti-farmer, citing deceptive promises about waiving electricity bills and providing free ration while farmers face challenges like stray cattle destroying crops. In Bihar, there’s an attempt to grab land by undermining the market, leading farmers to suffer losses and work as laborers. Tikait called for a significant movement to prevent farmers from becoming laborers.
In Bihar, an attempt is being made to grab land by destroying the market. Here farmers are not being given a fair price for maize and paddy. Every year farmers incur a loss of ₹1 lakh crore. Farmers of Bihar are forced to go out and work as labourers. If farmers do not want to become laborers, then a big movement will have to be started, he asserted.
