Split Among Protesting Farmers? Union Leaders Unhappy With Rakesh Tikait Saying Protest To Continue Only Till October 2nd

Rakesh Tikait made an announcement that if the Centre doesn't withdraw Farm laws, they will continue their sit-in protest till October 2.

Image: PTI

New Delhi: Farmers' sit-in protest across Delhi borders against Centre's three Farm Laws has been going on for 79 days now. Farmers are staying put at Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri borders and heavy security have deployed to avoid any mishap. Rakesh Tikat is leading the farmers' protest from Ghazipur border and on Thursday he said that if Centre doesn't withdraw the Farm laws, they will continue their protest till October 2, Gandhi Jayanti.

While Tikait gave an ultimatum, to withdraw the agricultural laws, other farmer leaders are unhappy with his statement and their reaction even suggests a split in their unity. Reacting to Rakesh Tikait's announcement,  the Kisan United Front has said that this movement will go on till the withdrawal of the laws.

Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chadhuni has fiercely targeted  Rakesh Tikait saying that such statements just make him laugh and he understands in which atmosphere and under what pressure Rakesh Tikait has made this announcement. Chadhuni said that the protest will go on till Centre agrees to withdraw all the three Farm laws. He also said that the statement given by Rakesh Tikait is personal and it doesn't represent the stand of the farmers.

Chaduni said that Rakesh Tikait's statement might also result in a split among the farmers who are protesting at Delhi borders for a two-and-a-half month-long protests and if it ha[[ens it will only benefit the Modi government who is trying the ambush the fire created by the farmers' movement.

Different mahapanchayat for different farmer unions

The reason for farmers' protest to continue for such a long time is their unity but after the Republic Day violence during their tractor rally, Rakesh Tikait emerged as a bigger face than the other farmer leaders. Even Tikait's tears made him the leader the movement never had after which the rest of the faces of the United Kisan Morcha got blurred which resulted in holding separate Mahapanchayats for farmer unions.

Today, the United Farmers Front is holding a mahapanchayat in Moradabad in UP today, apart from this, Rakesh Tikait will address a mahapanchayat in Bahadurgarh in Haryana. Therefore, speculations are being made about the split.