BKU leader Rakesh Tikait may be arrested on March 8 as MP court issues arrest warrant

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Singh Tikait, who is due to address rallies in Madhya Pradesh on March 8 to drum up support against the Centre’s new farm laws, may be arrested in connection with an attempt to murder and rioting case of 2012.

According to a BKU functionary, Rakesh Tikait will address farmer rallies in Sheopur, Rewa and Dewas on March 8.

MP BKU general secretary Anil Yadav had confirmed this. Incidentally, a Madhya Pradesh court has issued an arrest warrant against Tikait in connection with a 2012 attempt to murder and rioting case in the state’s Anuppur district.

Tikait had led a BKU protest against a power plant in the Jaithari area, which turned violent, leading to injuries to policemen and torching of vehicles. Over 100 people, including Tikait, were arrested under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with armed weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC, an official said.

“However, after being released on bail in 2012, Tikait failed to appear before the court for subsequent hearings, after which an arrest warrant was issued against him in 2016. We will take necessary action on the arrest warrant,” Anuppur Superintendent of Police Mangilal Solanki said. 

The BKU leader has recently warned that the farmers would march to the Parliament if the three agricultural laws are not taken back. Tikait said, "A call would be made for taking farm protests to the Parliament."

He claimed that farmers would do farming on the lawns located near Parliament and when the crop would mature, the government could analyse the financial yield of the crop.

He further said that a Parliamentary Standing Committee should be formed and monitor this and then the government would get to know about the gains and losses related to it. Tikait also said that the movement would spread to other states such as Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Live TV