Two farmer unions break away from farmers’ agitation

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 27

In an aftermath of the Red Fort siege and violence on capital’s roads during the tractor parade on Tuesday, divisions surfaced in the farm unions’ camp on Wednesday with the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee and the BKU (Bhanu) quitting the ongoing protests and announcing their own plans to struggle for justice.

AIKSCC chief VM Singh and BKU Bhanu’s Bhanu Pratap Singh today addressed a press conference to announce that their organisations were withdrawing from the ongoing farmers’ protests which had lost the legitimacy and the moral authority to continue after what happened yesterday.

Asked if the entire AIKSCC was dissociating from protests, VM Singh said he was dissociating as the national president of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (RKMS). VM Singh said his organisation will leave the Ghazipur protest site. 

Read also: Farmer leaders Rajewal, Ugrahan, Darshan Pal, Yogendra Yadav, Chudhni named in FIRs for Delhi violence

Both AIKSCC and BKU (Bhanu) are Uttar Pradesh based organisations.

Singh attacked BKU’s Rakesh Tikait for admitting to inciting violence and asking supporters to carry batons, sticks and flags to the parade besides breaking barricades yesterday and said, “We have not joined this agitation for people to die. The farmers are not here to do what we saw yesterday. They are not agitating for someone to become a political leader.”

Singh asked whether BKU’s Rakesh Tikait who has attended all 10 dialogues with the government ever raised the concerns of sugarcane farmers with the Centre.

Singh also slammed Tikait for breaking barricades asking, “Why did they start early for the parade?”

Singh added, “Whoever has done the wrong yesterday needs to be acted against. Ours is an agriculture dominated nation. Our agitation will continue but not in the current form. We cannot run the agitation with those who have their own separate roads and plans. We are withdrawing from the agitation,” VM Singh said.

The announcements came even as Samyukta Kisan Morcha was holding its own meeting amid signs that they would dissociate from some farm organisations after the mayhem on capital roads yesterday.

Meanwhile, farmer unions said VM Singh was removed from post of convener of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) a month ago.

VM Singh was accused of taking pro-government positions. On December 14, he was removed as convener of AIl India Kisan Sangarsh Coordination Committee.

He is taking a decision on behalf of a committee he is no more a convener of, claimed unions.

Meanwhile, sources said from Ghazipur most farmers have returned home. Earlier, where there were around 3,000 tractors. Currently, around 150 to 200 tractors are remaining.

BKU president Naresh Tikait had returned to Muzaffarnagar yesterday itself, they added. Traffic is smooth on the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi highway.

However, Rakesh Tikait has refused to go back saying that he plans to stay put till the end of the agitation.