BKU splits: Section of farmers rebel against Tikait brothers, form new 'apolitical' organisation
India Today
A section of farmers rebelled against the leadership of the Bharatiya Kisan Union on Sunday and formed a new group called BKU (Arajnaitik) on Sunday.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union, which became the face of the massive farmers' movement in 2020 and 2021, has split into two.
A section of farmers rebelled against the Tikait brothers - president Naresh and spokesperson Rakesh - and formed their own 'apolitical' group called Bharatiya Kisan Union (Arajnaitik) on Sunday.
Rajesh Singh Chauhan has been elected the president of the new group. Other leaders including Rajendra Singh Malik, Anil Talan, Harnam Singh Verma, Bindu Kumar, Kunwar Parmar Singh and Nitin Sirohi have joined the new group, which promises to work in the interest of farmers and not be involved in politics.
The breakaway farmer leaders' main problem with the leadership of the BKU was that it had become too political.
Reacting to the development, Rakesh Tikait said that those who do not have faith in the BKU are free to go. "In the past too, many have left our organisation. In Uttar Pradesh itself, 8-10 breakaway groups have been formed," he said.
Further, he blamed the government for the split in the organisation. "The government is behind this. Today, a few people have surrendered before the government... We will strengthen the organisation again," he said.
Meanwhile, the breakaway group's leader Rajesh Chauhan said, "We are apolitical. But Rakesh Tikait campaigned for a particular party and targeted another during the 2022 polls. This was against our principles."
