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NAGPUR: After much drama, Sanyukta Kisan Morcha leader Rakesh Tikait cancelled his trip to Yavatmal for Saturday.
The organizers claim that it was a fake call in the name of superintendent of police (SP) saying that he would be quarantined for 14 days, which led to Tikait call off the trip.
Tikait, who is among the top leaders of the farmers\u2019 struggle in Delhi, was supposed to hold the first ever major public address out of the national capital on Saturday. Initially, the organizers had claimed that over a lakh farmers from entire Maharashtra may reach Yavatmal. The permission was denied owing to Covid restrictions. The Kisan Morcha put up a fresh application with an undertaking that not more than 50 would attend the rally. The second application was rejected too.
Finally, after the organizers claimed that Tikait had checked in at the airport to reach Nagpur and then would drive down to Yavatmal, they confirmed that the tour was called off.
Sandeep Gidde-Patil from the Kisan Morcha\u2019s Maharashtra wing said, Tikait was called by a person claiming to be the SP Yavatmal. He said, if Tikait came to Yavatmal, he would be put into 14 days quarantine. As it would hamper the protests at Ghazipur near Delhi, Tikait decided to stay back.
Gidde-Patil said when they confirmed it was found that the SP, Dilip Bhujbal had not made any call. \u201cThis means it was a fake call by our detractors,\u201d he said.
Tikait would now make an online address and rest of the activists would attend the meet at Yavatmal, said Gidde-Patil.
Bhujbal, on the other hand, told TOI that he had only called the organizers asking them to take a stand. \u201cI told if they still want to go-ahead with their plans, even the police will have to gear up to deal with the situation. But I also asked them to take a responsible decision considering the situation and themselves convince Tikait to not come,\u201d said the officer.
Gidde-Patil accepted that there was such a call from Bhujbal asserting that the person who called Tikait was an impostor. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n