After Delhi Police, BKU’s Tikait now blames Centre for border curbs

Ghaziabad: Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait — a day after he and other members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union removed a tent next to the barrier put by Delhi police on Ghaziabad-Delhi service lane near UP Gate — held the central government responsible for the road closure at the Ghazipur border.
Earlier, while arguing that the obstruction on the road is not by farmers, Tikait had blamed the Delhi Police for the same.
The farmers argued that the purpose of removing the tent was to “expose this truth”. Tikait on Friday wrote slogans on the barricades blaming the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, even as some more tents appeared to be removed from the service lane.
BKU, however, denied that more tents were removed. “The farmers’ tents are by the side of the roads. They have been sitting here for a long time and will continue to do so. We have time till the next date of hearing of the case in the Supreme court to file our reply,” BKU media in-charge Dharmendra Malik told TOI.
The apex court, while hearing a petition seeking removal of road blockade by farmers on Thursday, stated that while farmers have a right to protest, they couldn’t block roads indefinitely. Farmer unions were granted three weeks to file their replies. The next hearing in the case was posted for December 7.
On Friday, Tikait, using green paint, wrote several slogans on the multi-layered barricades put up by Delhi Police. Slogans like “Modi sarkar, Rasta kholo” (Modi government, open the road), “rukawat ke liye Modi sarkar jimmewar” (Modi government is responsible for the obstruction), were written all over the barricades.
“If Delhi Police removes the barrier, there will be no hindrance. We, as well as commuters, will be able to go to Delhi,” Tikait said while addressing media persons on Thursday.