Tikait says TRS is B team of BJP, its stand on farmer issues 'confusing'

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday termed the ruling TRS in Telangana as the "B-team" of the BJP and cautioned the state’s people against sending TRS members to Parliament. “They tend to sail with the BJP,” he said.

However, Tikait thanked Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao for announcing a Rs 3 lakh ex-gratia to each of the over 750 farmers in various states who lost their lives fighting against Centre's farm reform steps during the last one year.

Tikait made it clear that farmers' protest will continue until the Centre resolved their six demands  -- on MSP Act, Seed Bill and  Electricity Amendment Bill, among others, despite the Centre repealing the farm laws recently. He said they have no plan to vacate the protest site on the Delhi borders.

Tikait took part in the dharna organised by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of the agitating farmer unions, at Indira Park on Thursday, making the completion of a year of farmer protests at Delhi borders against the farm laws.

Speaking to the media, Tikait said the stands of the TRS on farm laws and farmers' issues were confusing. "First they (TRS) opposed farm laws and later participated in the Bharat Bandh in December last. Thereafter, they kept mum on farm laws. Now they again raise their voice on farmers' issues. We want TRS to clearly spell out its stand on the Centre's policies towards farmers and agriculture," Tikait said.

Asked how he could term the TRS as the B-team of the BJP, Tikait replied, "That's what people say in Delhi and all over India."

The farmer leader urged the Telangana government to pay compensation to all the farmers in the state who had committed suicide since 2014 due to crop loss and debt burden. Tikait said the SKM will extend its support to Telangana farmers who are taking up agitation programmes for procurement of paddy.

“We will soon submit the details of the 750-plus farmers to the Telangana government who lost their lives in their fight against the Centre's farm laws, to enable their families get the promised Rs 3 lakh compensation to each farmer's family,” Tikait said.

"We will go to the voters of UP with a "Defeat BJP" slogan. It would be fine if the Centre and PM Modi fully resolved the issue before the election code kicks in," Tikait added.

He also criticised AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's recent public meetings in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. "Wherever the BJP fears losing elections, it gets Owaisi to non-BJP split votes," he alleged.

Tikait said the SKM will decide on the future course of action at its meeting on November 27. "We will organise a tractor march in Delhi on November 29 and another march in the national capital's borders on November 30," he added.