Rakesh Tikait: campaign against Agnipath scheme from August 7

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait has said his farmers' group would begin a campaign against the Centre's new military recruitment scheme Agnipath from August 7.

Addressing a farmers' congregation in the Tikri area of Baghpat district in western Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, Tikait said the "fight with the Central government and the Uttar Pradesh government" over the issue was yet to begin.

"The campaign against the Agnipath scheme will begin on August 7 and continue for over a week," the BKU national spokesperson said, seeking support of the farming community.

He also alleged that old police cases against farmers were being dug up to intimidate them in the wake of major protests in recent years.

"When the BJP's government was formed in Uttar Pradesh, the cases against BJP members were closed. So, either they should be prepared for cases or we are ready for a movement," Tikait said.

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"Those in Lucknow and Delhi should listen to this carefully," he said. "You can break political parties, you can dissociate leaders of farmers' groups but cannot break the farmers. Farmers will protest against you (the two governments)." Tikait also highlighted issues related to acquisition of land, power tariff and pending sugarcane dues among others as he addressed the crowd of hundreds of farmers.

Tikait rose to national prominence during the 2020-21 protests in Delhi against the now-repealed central farm laws.