The demand for cutouts of Rakesh Tikait at Singhu border underlines the growing popularity of the farmer leader credited with reviving the farmers movement against the Centre’s farm laws following violence during a tractor rally on Republic Day.
Roadside stalls selling badges, posters and other literature related to the farmers stir are a common sight at Singhu border.
Wasim Ali, who has set up such a stall at the protest site, says hand-held cutouts of Tikait are a big hit among the crowd.
"Each cutout of Tikait is priced at Rs 20. I have been selling the cutouts since the last few days as they are in high demand," he said.
Around 700-800 such cutouts are sold every day, said Ali, a resident of Bawana in north west Delhi.
"I usually buy these cutouts from Sadar Bazar and sell them here. These are the most demanded items at my stall," he added.
Tikait's image received a massive boost after he defiantly announced to continue the agitation, even as a large posse of Uttar Pradesh police personnel gathered at Ghazipur protest site after the Republic Day violence, with rumours rife that he might be arrested.
(PTI)
Another protestor volunteering for the work said the nursery has flowers like rose and marigold besides varieties of plants like palm, pine and others set in planters.
Farmers’ agitation entered Day 72 at Ghazipur border (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border) on February 7. They are protesting against the three new agriculture laws.
‘Hawan’ and prayers were being performed for the peace of deceased farmers’ souls. Farmers also conducted ‘hawan’ for their self motivation.
"Yeh jan andolan hai, yeh fail nahi hoga (this is a people's movement, this will not fail)," he added.
"There was a reason why Foreign Ministry reacted to statements which some celebrities gave out on matters on which they obviously didn't know very much," Jaishankar told news agency ANI.
Addressing a rally for upcoming polls to local bodies in Gujarat, the Hyderabad MP also asked the prime minister to be "large-hearted" and "understand pains" of the farmers, who have been protesting at borders of Delhi over the last two months demanding scrapping of the agri marketing legislations.
According to the police, the hand-written suicide note purportedly left behind by the deceased said, "Dear farmer brethren, Modi government is giving date after date... No one knows when these black farm laws will be rolled back."
Singhu, Piau Maniyari,Saboli, Mungeshpur borders are closed. Lampur, Safiabad, Singhu school & Palla toll tax borders are open. Pl follow alternate route: Delhi Traffic Police
Gazipur border is closed both carriage way Traffic going Ghaziabad through Murga mandi & Gazipur R/A, Road no. 56, Vikas marg, Anand Vihar IP Extention, NH 24: Delhi Traffic Police
(ANI)
(ANI)
(ANI)
The ripples of Rakesh’s breakdown were felt 80 kilometres away in Muzaffarnagar, where the video melted the hearts of thousands of Jats who gathered in support and decided to head to Ghazipur to uphold the honour of the son of legendary farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday called on peasants across the country to join the “tractor revolution” as part of the ongoing protests at Delhi's borders against the new agri laws introduced by the Centre.
During a speech to supporters at the Ghazipur protest site, Tikait reached out to the farming community, many of whom especially in the Delhi-NCR region have been upset over the National Green Tribunal's ban on diesel vehicles, including tractors, that are over 10 years old.
“The tractors which run in the farms will now run at the NGT's office in Delhi also. Until recently, they had not asked which vehicles are 10 years old. What is their plan? Phase out tractors older than 10 years and help the corporates? But the tractors older than 10 years will also run and the movement (for repeal of the new farm laws) will also be strengthened,” Tikait, 51, told the crowd amid cheers.
(PTI)
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday said the ongoing farmers' protest against the Centre's three new farm laws is limited to a certain area, and expressed hope to break the deadlock over the issue soon.
Talking to reporters in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior city, Tomar also accused the opposition Congress of playing politics over the farmers' agitation.
"The farmers' agitation is limited to a certain area. The government is ready for talks with the protesting farmers, and I hope we will be able to break the deadlock very soon, Tomar said.
Asked about the Congress's demand for a repeal of three new farm laws and other allegations of the opposition, he said the Congress has no right to speak on farmers' issues.
"Why the Congress did not do anything for farmers when it was in power? The Congress's manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections had also promised similar reforms, but it (party) has now taken a turnaround," he said.
(PTI)
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday said the ongoing farmers' protest against the Centre's three new farm laws is limited to a certain areaand expressed hope to break the deadlock over the issue soon.
Talking to reporters in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior city, Tomar also accused the opposition Congress of playing politics over the farmers' agitation.
"The farmers' agitation is limited to a certain area. The government is ready for talks with the protesting farmers, and I hope we will be able to break the deadlock very soon, Tomar said. (PTI)
Hollywood veteran actor Susan Sarandon has amplified her support to the ongoing farmers' agitation and said despite attempts to silence the "most vulnerable" Indian leaders should remember the world is watching them.
The "Thelma & Louise" star became the latest international celebrity to back the protestafter a tweet by pop star Rihanna triggered a wave of support for the protesting farmers by a number of global personalities, activists and politicians. (PTI)
On the evening of January 28, the mood at the Ghazipur protest site, near the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, was quite sombre.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait Saturday said the protesters demanding the rollback of the contentious agri-marketing laws on Delhi's outskirts will stay put till October 2.
Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, the two Uttar Pradesh districts adjoining Delhi and Haryana, remained incident-free during the chakka jam that was called by farmers amid the ongoing stir against new agri laws, officials said Saturday.
It was business as usual at the Singhu border as national and state highways across the country barring Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand observed a three-hour 'chakka jam' on Saturday.
Uttar Pradesh minister Sidharth Nath Singh on Saturday charged the Opposition with misleading farmers and using them to regain their lost political ground.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday called on peasants across the country to join the “tractor revolution” as part of the ongoing protests at Delhi's borders against the new agri laws introduced by the Centre.