Tikait, a dacoit: BJP MLA claims 'agitation is funded'

Lucknow, Sep 21 Even as the Yogi Adityanath government makes efforts to assuage the feelings of farmers ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, BJP lawmakers queer the pitch by making statements against farmers and their leaders.

Akshaibar Lal Gond, BJP MP from Bahraich constituency, has called farmer leader Rakesh Tikait a 'dacoit' and said that the protesting farmers are receiving funds from foreign donors to continue the agitation at Delhi's borders.

He also said that the motivation for the protests come from people who associate with 'Pakistan and Sikhistan'.

"Tikait is a dacoit. There is no agitation by farmers. The protesters are not farmers, they are people from political parties who are motivated by 'Sikhistan' and Pakistan," Gond said at a programme to mark 4.5 years of the Yogi government in his constituency.

Gond said money to fund the protests was coming from Canada and is intended to fund terrorist activities. "Money is coming from foreign countries including Canada. This money is for terror funding and agencies are probing it," he said.

Gond further said that if 'real farmers' were on protest, then the nation would have seen a shortage of food grains, dairy products and fruits and vegetables.

The Yogi Adityanath government has already listed the steps it has taken to improve the agriculture sector and these include payment of cane dues, revival of old sugar mills while opening new ones, government procurement of crops during the rabi and kharif while removing middlemen and farm loan waiver.

The chief minister, on Monday, also named three roads after Jat stalwarts and the move is being seen as an attempt to placate the Jat community.