Chandigarh [India], August 3 (ANI): The farmer unions on Tuesday called off their proposed protest against the Punjab government after meeting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who accepted "most of the demands".

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 30 (ANI): Three persons were detained for smearing black ink at Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday, informed the police.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 15 (ANI): After a meeting in Lucknow on Sunday, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) split into two factions with the formation of one group called the BKU (Non-Political) being headed by Rajesh Singh Chauhan.

New Delhi [India], May 7 (ANI): Senior Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hood on Saturday met farmer leaders, including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)'s Rakesh Tikait for consultation over farmers' issues.

Muzaffarnagar/Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 18 (ANI): Hailing the Supreme Court's ruling to cancel the bail granted to Ashish Mishra, an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday said that he has faith in the judiciary and hoped that farmers will soon get justice.

Sisauli (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 9 (ANI): Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait on Wednesday said that his 'apolitical' organisation is not supporting any party but the 13-month-long farmer protest will have an impact on Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Noida Jan 31 PTI Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday called on farmers to be prepared for a long struggle as he claimed that the Centre has betrayed them over issues related to the farming community He also demanded that the Centre must explain why no compensation has been paid to martyrs of the farmers protest or a committee formed to look into the issue of the minimum support price MSP for crops By betraying farmers of the country the government has rubbed salt into their wounds With this betrayal it is clear that farmers of the country should be ready for a long struggle the national spokesperson of the influential north Indian farmers union tweeted in Hindi His remark came as sections of farmers observed Betrayal Day on Monday on the call of the BKU and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha SKM a farmers collective which spearheaded the over a year-long protest at Delhis borders from November 2020 against the Centre Its a betrayal to farmers that the cases lodged during the protest have not been withdrawn the martyrs have not been given compensation there is no word on electricity bills no resolution to the notices of central agencies and cases The Centre should respond to this Tikait said in another tweet The protest on Delhis borders had started under the banner of the SKM over main demands of withdrawal of three contentious farm laws that were introduced by the BJP-led Centre The farmers who occupied key border points of Singhu Tikri and Ghazipur for over a year also demanded a legal guarantee of the MSP for crops The contentious farm laws were withdrawn by the Centre after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November last year announced that these will be rolled back PTI KIS RDK RDK

New Delhi [India], January 31 (ANI): Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said that farmers will observe 'Virodh Diwas' today demanding that the Centre should fulfil their promise made to farmers on Minimum Support Price (MSP).

New Delhi [India], January 29 (ANI): Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday said that the fight to get a law on Minimum Support Price for farmers' produce will continue.

Jaipur Jan 20 PTI BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday met in Rajasthans Dausa farmers whose lands have been auctioned by commercial banks over the non-payment of loans while peasants led by BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena protested against the action outside the chief ministers residenceMeanwhile Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot asked officials to stop the auction of agricultural land of farmersLand attachment and auction is being undertaken by banks that are controlled by the Reserve Bank of India he said urging the Centre to waive farmers loansNotably many instances of land auction notices being issued to farmers who have been unable to pay back their loans have come to the fore recentlyTikait who is the spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union met farmers in Ramgarh Pachwara in Dausa district whose lands were auctioned by banks after they failed to repay their loansTalking to reporters Tikait said Why was the auction done An investigation should be carried out against bank officials and a case registered You cannot auction a farmers entire land for a small loan It was an illegal auction The land mafia have their eyes on prime land He claimed several farmers have received land auction noticesWe will meet bank officials on the issue and decide the future course of action the BKU leader saidSeparately a group of farmers from Dausa led by BJP MP Dr Kirodi Lal Meena managed to reach the high-security zone near Gehlots residence here demanding action against bank officials and cancellation of the land auction processHowever the protesters were dispersed and Meena was taken away in a bus by police officialsApproximately 15 lakh farmers in the state have taken loans worth Rs 10000 crore from cooperative banks and they are not being waived The farmers who have come here have less than 55 acres of land and have received land auction notices Meena told reporters from inside the busRecently a farmer committed suicide in Ramgarh Pachwara and the police have not registered a case in the matter he allegedA protesting farmer said My father had taken a loan from the Rajasthan Grameen Bank Bank officials harassed my father who committed suicide two months ago Still the bank auctioned 15 bighas land for Rs 45 lakh a couple of days ago We had taken a loan of Rs 35 lakh Meena was later taken to the Secretariat here where he met officials from the Chief Ministers Office CMO according to a statementHe handed over a memorandum to the CMO officials seeking a complete waiver of farm loans the statement issued by Meenas office saidState BJP president Satish Poonia hit out at Gehlot saying he is busy writing letters while farmers are being forced to commit suicidesDue to the promise made by Rahul Gandhi ji in 2018 lands of farmers of Rajasthan are being auctioned Farmers are being forced to commit suicide CM Gehlot is busy writing letters he saidIf the government has any honesty left then it should waive loans of all farmers he addedState BJP chief spokesperson Ramlal Sharma said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had promised to waive farm loans within 10 days of the party coming to power in the state but now the situation is such that farmers lands are being auctioned by banksIn a statement Gehlot said the Rajasthan government has already waived loans taken by farmers from cooperative banksDue to the non-payment of loans taken by farmers from commercial banks that are controlled by the Reserve Bank of India in the state land attachment and auction action is being carried out under the Rajasthan Agricultural Credit Operation Removal of Difficulties Act 1974 State government officials have been instructed to stop this he saidThe state government has waived cooperative bank loans he saidHe also urged the Centre to waive farmers loans by reaching a one-time settlement with commercial banks and said the state government is ready to pay its share in thisGehlot said the Rajasthan Assembly had passed a bill to ban the auction of land up to five acres owned by farmers However the governor has not yet granted his assent to itHe expressed hope that the governor will approve the bill soon PTI AG DIV DIV