Govt should speak to the farmers, Ego won’t help: Sanjay Raut after meeting Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur

New Delhi: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday reached the farmers’ protest site at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border where he met Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait.

“We spoke to Tikait sahib, gave our message and expressed solidarity, Raut said, adding “Govt should speak to farmers in a proper way. Ego would not help run the country: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut at Ghazipur border.”

The Maharashtra leader arrived at Ghazipur when security has been further tightened at the farmers’ protest site. Raut, one of the handful of people wearing a face mask at the site, met Tikait and other protestors off the stage when he reached around 1 pm.

“The way vandalism unfolded here after January 26 and an attempt made to suppress the movement and Tikait, we felt it is our responsibility to stand by the farmers’ and extend support of the whole of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray saahab,” Raut told reporters.

“The Maha Vikas Aghadi has taken many decisions in the interest of the farmers. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray always stood behind farmers in their tough times. The anguish and tears of the farmers are disturbing. On the instructions of party president Uddhav Thackeray, today I am going to meet agitating farmers at Singhu Border,” Raut had tweeted in Marathi.

Earlier on January 26, Raut had termed the violence during a tractor rally taken out by farmers in Delhi as national shame which stained their protest against the new agri laws. The Centre too will have to take responsibility for the developments, he had said.

Farmers’ protest sites at Delhi’s borders turned into fortresses Monday as police beefed up security and strengthened barricades.

Meanwhile, security arrangements continue to be strengthened at the Delhi-UP border site, which is galvanizing farmers from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. On Monday, Delhi Police Commissioner S N Srivastava and other senior police officers visited Ghazipur border to take stock of the security arrangements.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.