Will 'Campaign In The Name Of PM,' says Tikait

Muzaffarnagar: Farmers protesting against the Centre's farm laws will "campaign in the name of the Prime Minister" because that's what the BJP does too, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said in a tongue-in-cheek message, making it clear that the nature of their "publicity" will be very different.

""He (Modi) is selling everything (India's assets). We will tell people what all is being sold off. There will be publicity of the PM. Electricity, water, etc are being sold off. Is it wrong to tell people these things?"

The farmers have declared that they will campaign against the BJP in next year's state elections in Uttar Pradesh. They even dubbed today's mega-meeting in Muzaffarnagar "Mission Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand", indicating their plans to focus on the two BJP-ruled states where elections will be held next year.

Earlier, thousands of farmers from Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states on Sunday gathered at Muzaffarnagar for a 'Kisan mahapanchayat' aimed at "saving the country", just months ahead of the crucial UP assembly polls.

"These meetings will be held across the country. We have to stop the country from getting sold. Farmers should be saved, the country should be saved; business, employees and youth should be saved--this is the aim of the rally," Tikait said.

Popular names like Medha Patkar and Yogendra Yadav were seen on the dais. Yadav was given a yellow robe by Tikait, while the BKU leader was presented a mace at the event. Meanwhile, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Sunday described the protesting farmers as "our own flesh and blood" and suggested that the government should re-engage with them in reaching common ground.

BKU media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said farmers belonging to 300 organisations spread across different states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, among others, have gathered for the event.

He said over 5,000 'langars' (food stalls), including some mobile stalls, have been set up for the participants. The farmers, including women carrying flags of different organisations and wearing different coloured caps, were seen arriving at the venue in buses, cars and tractors.

A woman farmer leader from Karnataka addressed the gathering in Kannada language. One of the participants blew a 'ransingha' (trumpet), the photograph of which was posted by the Kisan Ekta Morcha on Twitter.

BJP MP Varun Gandhi described farmers, who have been protesting against three farm laws, as "our own flesh and blood" and suggested that the government should re-engage with them in reaching common ground.

Shiv Sena said that the 'long-term vision' of the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru saved the country from the current economic disaster it is reeling under and the present government is now enjoying selling the national assets he created.