Rakesh Tikait defamed farmers by politicising issues for his self-interest: BJP

New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) A day after the Kisan Mahapanchayat in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, the BJP said Bhartiya kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has defamed farmers by politicising the issue for his self-interest.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kisan Morcha national president and Lok Sabha member from Fatehpur Sikri, Rajkumar Chahar told IANS that he was fulfilling his political ambition by putting guns on farmers' shoulders.

Chahar claimed that most of the participants of the event were political workers of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and other political parties.

"Majority of participants of yesterday's event were workers of the SP, RLD and other political parties, while farmers stayed away from mahapanchayat. All the so-called leaders did not speak about the issues concerning farmers or they earlier used to raise like MSP as they also realize that their lies have been exposed," Chahar said.

He alleged that Tikait used farmers to fulfill his political ambition with support of some political parties who are misleading everyone over the new farm laws.

He further stated that it was not a mahapanchayat but a political rally organised with an eye on the next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

"Tikait knows what mahapanchayat means. In mahapanchayat everyone holds a 'charcha' (discussion) over issues but in yesterday's event it was a rally in which leaders gave political speeches," he said.

Chahar challenged Tikait and other farmers leaders to organise a real panchayat by calling genuine farmers and agriculture experts to discuss the new farm laws.

"They should organise a panchayat by calling genuine farmers and experts for a serious discussion on new farm laws. But they will not do this as the new farm laws have been implemented to benefit the farmers and such discussion will expose them. These so-called farmer leaders are doing politics and they are least interested in the welfare of farmers," Chahar said.

Chahar further alleged that Tikait has communalised the farmer protest by chanting communal slogans to appease a particular community.

"While making a particular happy by raising a religious slogan, why Tikait did not ask the participants to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan," the BJP Kishan Morcha national president said.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had organised a kisan mahapanchayat on Sunday at the Government Inter College ground in Muzaffarnagar. Farmers across the country were said to have come together under the banner of the SKM. The Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and other political parties had extended their support to the mahapanchayat.