BKU holds ’emergency’ panchayat after Rakesh Tikait’s heckling; 1 held, RLD leader demands action
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) held an “emergency” kisan panchayat in Muzaffarnagar on Saturday — a day after a section of people at a protest rally against the Pahalgam terror attack opposed farmer leader Rakesh Tikait’s participation in it.
Addressing the media after the panchayat, BKU national president Naresh Tikait said that it successfully “demonstrated unity among the farmers”.
Naresh Tikait, the elder brother of Rakesh Tikait and the head of the Balyan Khap, told reporters, “Despite the emergency call, thousands of people from various regions, particularly western Uttar Pradesh, attended the panchayat.
“The purpose was to display unity, not to make any immediate decisions. The panchayat did not announce any specific resolutions.” Senior political figures from the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which joined the NDA just before the 2024 general elections, also attended the panchayat.
RLD MLAs Rajpal Balyan and Madan Bhayya, SP MLA Atul Pradhan, and SP MPs Harender Malik from Muzaffarnagar and Iqra Hasan from Kairana were among the attendees.
After the panchayat, the farmers marched from the GIC ground to the Town Hall, the location of the ‘Akrosh’ rally where Rakesh Tikait faced heckling on Friday, in which his turban fell to the ground.
Tikait arrived for the emergency panchayat but he was reportedly feeling unwell. SP and RLD leaders present at the panchayat tied a new turban on Tikait as a sign of solidarity. The farmer leader was then taken to a doctor. BKU district president Naveen Rathi later said his health was stable.
Meanwhile, police took a man into custody for questioning after registering a case based on a complaint filed by BKU district president Naveen Rathi, officials said.
The man has been identified as Saurabh Verma, a resident of Krishnapuri locality. RLD MLA Balyan also demanded strict action against the heckling of Tikait.
Earlier, Naresh Tikait announced that the panchayat would be held at the GIC ground to deliberate on the incident, calling it part of a conspiracy orchestrated by a “political party” to weaken the farmers’ movement.
Rakesh Tikait was allegedly heckled at a rally organised by some right-wing groups to protest the Pahalgam terror attack on Friday. The farmer leader was reportedly asked to leave. In the commotion, his turban fell, as seen in some purported videos of the incident.
“The incident was not spontaneous. It was pre-planned and driven by political motives,” Naresh Tikait said. Rakesh Tikait also denounced the alleged heckling, saying he believed it was a political sabotage.
“This is a conspiracy by a particular political party to suppress the farmers’ voice. Some youths were deliberately sent to disrupt the rally,” he told reporters.
He also claimed that those raising slogans against him seemed to be under the influence of alcohol.
In a related development, Naresh Tikait announced that the BKU would organise a tractor march to protest the Pahalgam attack, the date for which will be decided in the coming days.
He also urged the Union Government to take strict action against terrorist activities to calm public anger. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, SP (City) Satyanarain Prajapat said, “We have registered a case under various Sections of the BNS and launched a probe to identify the anti-social elements involved in the heckling of Rakesh Tikait.” The authorities are examining the CCTV footage to identify the suspects. Security has also been tightened in the city, particularly at the GIC ground, where the panchayat was held on Saturday.
Meanwhile, RLD legislative party leader and Budhana MLA Balyan met Rakesh Tikait on Friday.
Describing the incident as an “unruly act”, Balyan demanded the district administration to take swift action in the matter.
“Those responsible for this incident must be punished. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable in a democratic society,” Balyan told reporters.
Uttar Pradesh