Leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Rakesh Singh Tikait on Wednesday gave a call to farmers from the Belagavi region to lay a siege to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi to register their protest against the new farm laws, seeking their repeal.
Addressing a Raita Maha Panchayat organised at CPED College Ground in Belagavi on Wednesday, Mr. Tikait said: “We are fighting on the Delhi border using tractors as our arms and ammunition. Farmers from this region need not go to Bengaluru to fight, they can lay a siege to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. They should not seek police permission for the purpose.”
Mr. Tikait said that the government should withdraw the farm laws. He said that the agitation should force the police to lob tear gas shells.
“One village, one tractor, 15- and 10- day formula should be followed. Stage agitation one after the other. There is nothing to fear. If police erect barricades, you park your tractors on road,” he said.
He even gave a call to break police barriers and proceed further.
Only when the agitations get intensified, the governments wake up and all should join hands in this purpose, he said.
Mr. Tikait termed the Union government as “company sarkar” and said that it was under the control of companies as it was evident from the fact that even before the farm law amendments were introduced, huge warehouses had been constructed.
BKU leader Yudhvir Singh said that the country was being taken over by Adani and Ambani.
“The government in the country is not of the BJP. The workers of that party should understand it. The government is ‘Modi Sarkar’, that of Narendra Modi. In the last election, they repeatedly said that it will be ‘Modi Sarkar’. And, now, Mr. Modi is working as broker for Adani and Ambani. He is working for the conspiracy of privatising everything,” he said.
The rally was addressed by farmers leaders K.T. Gangadhar, Chukki Nanjundaswamy, Kurubur Shanthakumar, former Union Minister Babagouda Patil, all of whom vehemently opposed the farm laws and sought their immediate withdrawal.
Earlier, a protest march was taken out from Rani Chennamma Circle to the venue with farmers waving green towels and flags. Women carrying “poorna kumbha” took part in the protest march. BKU leaders were taken to the venue on bullock carts.
