“A viral video of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait showed his appeal to farmers that for the Republic Day rally they should come “loaded with lathis. Tikait, also the agitating Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson, is seen in the video saying, “The government is not listening. Come with your sticks and flags.”
However, Tikait refuted the allegations and claimed he had appealed to farmers to get ‘flag sticks’. “We said bring your own sticks. Please show me a flag without a stick, I will accept my mistake,” said Tikait.
Tikait condemned the violence earlier today and said that those who produced violence at the Red Fort and unfurled flags would have to pay for their actions. “For the last couple of months, a conspiracy is going on against a particular community. This is not a movement of Sikhs, but farmers,” he said.
The Republic Day violence: In a nutshell
On Tuesday, massive protests broke out on the streets of the national capital as farmers, who were slated to follow a pre-designated path, broke out from the tractor rally and created a ruckus on the streets of Delhi. A group also hoisted a flag at the iconic Red Fort inviting criticism from across sections.
Although 22 FIRs were filed by the police to keep farmers’ organizations accountable for the violence, farmers’ organizations distanced themselves from the rampage and blamed miscreants and political parties for the violence.
In reality, Tikait, the spokesperson for the BKU, said that the police in the national capital were responsible for the violence. The police and administration are responsible for the confusion and violence in Delhi today. In entering Delhi, they created obstacles on our routes and deceived the farmers. It is intolerable what happened at Red Fort. We condemn it. We know who these people were, we will recognize who they were.
