Rakesh Tikait Asks Farmers to Reach Muzaffarnagar Panchayat in Expired Tractors to Protest Against ban on old Vehicles

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New Delhi: Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait has asked farmers to reach Muzaffarnagar for a Maha Panchayat on February 10 in `expired` 10-year-old tractors. This, he said, will send out a message that many in the farming community are upset over the ban on diesel vehicles, including tractors that are over 10 years old. Tikait accused the Centre of misleading people over the minimum support price for crops and said the stir for it will continue. Scores of farmers affiliated to BKU launched an indefinite strike, led by Tikait, last week in Muzaffarnagar district, seeking a resolution to their issues.

"We are going to discuss the government's unfulfilled promises on pending sugarcane issues, new sugarcane state advised price (SAP), electricity meter installed on tube well, and most importantly MSP (Minimum Support Price)," Tikait said about the agenda for the Maha Panchayat.

Meanwhile, national general secretary of BKU, Yudhveer Singh, said, "The farmers did not get anything even in the budget. The government is not talking about sugarcane prices and the pending cane payments. They are just misleading the farmers."

Sources in BKU said several farmer leaders from across Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut, Saharanpur, etc, associated with Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will also attend the Maha Panchayat.

(With inputs from IANS)