Tag : BKU

Lucknow: It is called Bhartiya Kisan Union (Apolitical), but if reports are to be believed, there is a lot of politics in this 'apolitical' outfit. The breakaway outfit of the BKU, led by Rajesh Chauhan, has alleged that the outfit under the Tikait brothers was getting 'increasingly political' and the members, including senior leaders, did not appreciate this. BKU president Naresh Tikait claims that the split in the outfit was engineered by the BJP government and said that the parting of 'some' leaders will not impact the organization or its activities. Fissures within the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) had come out, ironically, on the death anniversary of its founder president Mahendra Singh Tikait on May 15, when the formation of a separate outfit was announced. BKU vice-president Rajesh Chauhan said he took the decision after being "insulted" and alleged that the outfit sided with political parties in the elections - an apparent reference to UP assembly polls. The new outfit was named the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Arajnaitik). "Arajnaitik" means apolitical in Hindi. Naresh Tikait alleged that the new organisation was formed at the behest of the BJP government. "The organisation is an outfit of the government. The BJP wanted to damage the movement after the year-long farmers' agitation. The agitations by the BKU are run by people as a group and individuals do not matter," he said. The split in the BKU, however, has put a question mark on the farmers' posture towards the government and it remains to be seen whether the Tikait brothers will command the same pull that they did during the year-long agitation. The Tikait brothers have been almost synonymous with farmers' issues and this is the first time that their leadership has been chall ...