Naresh Tikait has warned that his brother’s tears would not go in vain after a video of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait bitterly weeping during media interaction went viral on social media platforms. Rakesh Tikait weeping during his conversation with reporters on camera came moments after the Uttar Pradesh government cut off power and water supply to the protesting farmers at the Ghazipur border.
The UP government also deployed at least 1,000 armed security forces personnel at the Ghazipur border. This included at least three companies of CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces), six companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary and 1000 police personnel, reported the NDTV.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday evening, a bitterly weeping Rakesh Tikait said, “This government wants to destroy the country’s farmers…I will not let that happen…If the Farm Bills are not repealed, then Rakesh Tikait will commit suicide.”
Sharing the video of Tikait weeping, his brother Naresh Tikait tweeted, “Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait’s son and my younger brother Rakesh Tikait’s tears will not go in vain. There will be a mahapanchayat and we will not rest until this movement reaches its logical end.”
चौधरी महेंद्र सिंह टिकैत के बेटे और मेरे छोटे भाई राकेश टिकैत के ये आँसू व्यर्थ नहीं जाएंगे। कल सुबह महापंचायत होगी और अब हम इस आंदोलन को निर्णायक स्थिति तक पहुंचा कर ही दम लेंगे। pic.twitter.com/gSaqoi4xzk
— Naresh Tikait (@NareshTikait_) January 28, 2021
The crackdown by the Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath government against the protesting farmers came after the tractor march to Delhi on Republic Day turned violent in Delhi with scores of policemen sustaining injuries. One farmer was killed in the violence after his tractor reportedly overturned.
Rakesh Tikait said that people, who caused violence near the Red Fort, were those who clicked their photos with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His reference was for Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, a close associate of BJP MP Sunny Deol.
The government reportedly decided to withdraw the security forces from the Ghazipur border in the early hours of Friday.