Addressing a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Pehowa in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said the farmers’ protest will keep moving forward and even spread to the rest of the nation.
Earlier, he had rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system and said that the country does not run on “trust” but on law and Constitution. PM Modi had assured the farmers that mandis will be modernised.
While speaking to India Today Rakesh Tikait said, “Now, a rally of 40 lakh and not four lakh tractors will be taken out.”
Referring to PM Modi’s criticism of agitation-savvy individuals, Rakesh Tikait said, “He [PM] has never been part of any agitation in his life. In fact, he did the job of breaking the nation. What would he know about Andolanjivis?”
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“Bhagat Singh, even Lal Krishna Advani were part of agitations,” Tikait added.
Meanwhile, a Delhi court Tuesday sent actor-activist Deep Sidhu to seven-day police custody in connection with the Red Fort violence on the Republic Day during farmers’ tractor parade against the Centre’s three new laws. Metropolitan Magistrate Prigya Gupta sent Sidhu to the custody after the police alleged he was one of the main instigators of the violent incidents at the Red Fort.
Sidhu’s counsel, however, claimed he had nothing to do with the violence and was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Earlier today, Sidhu wanted in connection with the Red Fort violence on Republic Day has been arrested by the Delhi Police. The arrest was made by a team of Delhi Police”s Special Cell, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.
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Later, Yadav told PTI that Sidhu was arrested from Karnal Bypass at 10.40 pm on Monday, adding that he was wanted in connection with the case of instigating the crowd at the Red Fort on Republic Day.
“The Crime Branch will investigate his role in detail,” the DCP said. Asked where he was hiding after the January 26 violence, Yadav said the investigation is in an initial stage.
The police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to Sidhu’s arrest.
After the Republic Day 26 violence that had leftover 500 security personnel injured and one protestor dead, Sidhu was posting videos on social media.
“Sidhu was in contact with a woman friend who lives in California. He used to make videos and send it to her, and she used to upload them on his Facebook account,” police sources said.
