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UP Polls: Tikait apprehends counting fraud on March 10
Rakesh Tikait, leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), expressed concern that government officials could misuse their position and favour the ruling party on March 10.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait expressed apprehension that government officials could misuse their position and favour the ruling party on the vote counting day on March 10.
Tikait was addressing a monthly panchayat at the BKU headquarters in Sisauli area of Muzaffarnagar district on Thursday.
He called upon farmers to keep a close watch on this likely ‘fraud’ by government officials. He urged farmers to make their ‘lathis’ bigger and stronger (Kisano ko apni lathi char angul oonchi karni padegi) so that they are prepared for further struggles.
He, however, said he had nothing to do votes and “we would come to know about election result on March 10.”
Tikait called upon farmers to forget their differences and appealed to them to end social evils.
Referring to the farmers’ movement, he accused the government of betraying them and not fulfilling the promises it made to them for withdrawal of their protest.
BKU president Naresh Tikait insisted on making the organisation stronger so that the voice of farmers would be heard by the government. He expressed concern over misuse of water and advised BKU leaders and workers to expand the organisation by making more farmers its members. He accused government of trying to weaken the organisation.
He said small farmers who earn their livelihood by keeping buffaloes and cows would be bound to take commercial connection as per the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill. He said the government should have discussed this issue before bringing the electricity bill, but it didn’t. “Small farmers and women earn their livelihood by selling milk and government wants to finish them,” he said.
