Republic Day violence: UP police reaches Ghazipur border to arrest Rakesh Tikait, BKU leader threatens hunger strike

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who has been named in the Delhi Police FIR in connection with the violence during the tractor rally on Republic Day, said that the Uttar Pradesh Police has come to arrest the agitating farmers. The UP Police officials reached the Singh border to arrest the BKU leader but failed to nab him, as he was surrounded by his supporters.

Image courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, who has been named in the Delhi Police FIR in connection with the violence during the tractor rally on Republic Day, said that the Uttar Pradesh Police has come to arrest the agitating farmers. The Uttar Pradesh Police officials reached the Singh border to arrest the BKU leader but failed to nab him as he was surrounded by a large number of his supporters.

He told media persons that he would not surrender before the police and threatened to hang himself if the police tried to use force.   

The report coming in says that the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered district administrations to clear all protest sites on the state's borders with Delhi currently being blocked by farmers. 

The state government has ordered all DMs and SSPs to ensure the end of all the farmers' agitations in the state, news agency ANI quoted officials as saying.

Condemning the Uttar Pradesh government and police for the ultimatum, he said, "No violence has taken place at the Ghazipur border but still the UP government is resorting to policy of suppression. This is the face of the UP government."

The "verbal" communication from the Ghaziabad administration to BKU came after three farmers union withdrew their protest against the three central farm laws over the violence in Delhi that left 394 security personnel injured and one protestor dead.

Earlier making an address from the dais of the farmers` union at the Ghazipur protest site, Tikait said, "Uttar Pradesh Police is trying to arrest us. Even the Supreme Court has favoured peaceful protest. There was no violence at the Ghazipur protest site." 

Tikait said, "Despite no violence at the Ghazipur protest site, the government is trying to crush the farmers' movement. This is the real face of Uttar Pradesh government," adding that no farmers have disrespected the Indian national flag.

His remarks came after there was heavy deployment of police and security personnel at the Ghazipur protest site. He also demanded for a Supreme Court-monitored probe against Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who was one of the persons who hoisted a pennant from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

Tikait said that people in Punjab have boycotted Sidhu. "A conspiracy is being hatched to end the farmers' protest. The BJP is indulging in violence to end the farmer's protest," he alleged.