Rakesh Tikait addresses ‘kisan mahapanchayat’, urges farmers to throw 'king of looters' out of Delhi, top highlights

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait addressed 'Kisan mahapanchayat' in Haryana and Rajasthan on Monday. Tikait warned that farmers’ ongoing protest against the Centre's three farm laws could go on for a long time. He also urged the agitating farmers to force "the king of looters" out of Delhi

SONIPAT/ JAIPUR: Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has warned that the farmers’ ongoing protest against the Centre's three farm laws could go on for a long time and urged the agitating farmers to force "the king of looters" out of Delhi.

Tikait made these remarks while addressing a "kisan mahapanchayat" in Nohar of Hanumangarh on Monday. Earlier in the day, Tikat addressed a farmers' "mahapanchayat" at Haryana's Sonipat had said when people gather governments get changed.

Here are the top highlight of the ‘Kisan mahapanchayat’ 

-While addressing the kisan mahapanchayat, Tikat accused "the king" of putting a value on bread.

-"He is the last king of looters (luteron ka badshah). He has to be forced out of Delhi," Tikait said without naming anyone at a "kisan mahapanchayat" in Nohar of Hanumangarh. "He does not have any affection towards the flag and the country. He is a businessman," Tikait added.

-The farmer leader also said a beggar and a businessman do not have affection for the country and the fields as they go wherever they get the right money. "A businessman and beggar do not have affection for the country and fields. A beggar will move wherever he gets right money and a trader will do the work where he gets profit," Tikait said.

-He further warned that the fight against the laws could go on for long and till legislation guaranteeing the minimum support price is enacted, people should remain prepared to march to Delhi.

-While addressing the farmers' "mahapanchayat" at Haryana's Sonipat, Tikait warned when people gather, the governments change.

-Tikait said this a day after Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said in Gwalior that the Centre is ready to talk to the farmers protesting against the new laws and that mere gathering of the crowd does not lead to revocation of laws.

-The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader also warned that the government could find it difficult to stay in power if the new agri-marketing laws are not repealed.

-The farmers' stir against the laws will continue till the time the Centre accepts their demands of repealing the legislations, Tikait said while addressing a farmers' 'mahapanchayat' at Kharkhoda in Haryana's Sonipat.

-''They have lost their mind. When crowds gather governments get changed," he told the farmers' gathering. "They (the government) should know if farmers can destroy their own produce, then you are nothing before them," Tikait said. "There are many questions, it is not only the farm laws but the electricity (amendment) bill, the seed bill? what kind of laws do they want to bring?" he asked and slammed the government for rising prices of diesel and petrol.

-Tikait said that this agitation is not just of farmers, but also of the poor, daily wagers and other sections. "These laws will destroy the poor. This is not just one law, many more laws like these will come," he said.

The unions are protesting against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The three farm laws, enacted in September 2020, have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country. However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of MSP and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The Centre has repeatedly asserted that these mechanisms will remain.