Indus row: Delhi Ministers slam Naresh Tikait for taking up cudgels on behalf of Pak farmers 

New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) Farmer leader Naresh Tikait on Monday came in the firing line of Delhi Ministers Parvesh Verma and Manjinder Singh Sira for his “anti-national” stand of sympathising with Pakistani peasants after India decided to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. 

“Naresh Tikait's statement in support of Pakistan is an insult to crores of farmers of the country. This is shameful and anti-national,” said Verma, who himself claims to be a proud farmer and belongs to the Jat community.

The National President of Bhartiya Kisan Union had on Sunday objected to India’s decision to stop the flow of Indus river water into Pakistan, claiming that this step will cause hardships to farmers in the neighbouring country.

He also claimed that not the entire nation of Pakistan was responsible for the Pahalgam attack, recommending action against only those behind the incident.

Attacking Tikait for voicing views against the Indian government’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, Verma said, “The farmers of India have always sweated in the fields for the pride of the tricolour and sacrificed their sons to protect the country.”

Verma’s Cabinet colleague Manjinder Singh Sira also slammed Tikait, saying the BKU leader was indulging in anti-national activities under the garb of trans-border farmer unity.

“Those who are worried about the farmers of Pakistan today are neither true citizens of India nor true well-wishers of the farmers,” he said.

Verma said Tikait’s statement has exposed the real face of those who do politics of power and profit by pretending to be patriots and leaders of farmers.

“If leaders like Tikait brothers, who pursue politics in the name of farmers, have so much sympathy for Pakistan, then it would be better that they leave India and go to Pakistan,” he said.

The farmer of India is nationalist, self-respecting and will never accept such traitorous statements. There is no place in India for those who speak against the country, said Verma.

The Delhi Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will protect its resources and its rights, be it water or borders.

“India's rightful share of water is for the farmers of India, not Pakistan, which fosters terrorism. People like the Tikait brothers will not find a place among Indian farmers,” he said.

The few farmers who are still standing with them should also give up this anti-national mentality, as the public will soon give a befitting reply to those with anti-national thinking, said Verma.

Sirsa also trained his guns on Tikait and asked, “Should we continue giving water to those who want to shed our blood?”

“Punjab farmers have said on TV that they want the Pahalgam attack to be avenged, even if that harms their crop. This is true patriotism,” said Sirsa.

Earlier, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri dismissed claims by Pakistan leaders and media on the serious consequences of the Indian decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

“Nothing of that sort will happen… They will be brought down on their knees,” he said, claiming that there is nothing wrong with suspending a treaty between two sovereign countries.

“The situation in 1960 was different when it was signed… If one nation is attacked by the other, will the other nation continue to offer a freebie?” he said.