Ahmedabad, April 4
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday kicked off his two-day tour of Gujarat, during which he will campaign against the three Central farm laws, by visiting Goddess Ambaji’s temple in Banaskantha district.
Taking a veiled swipe at the BJP and the Centre while entering the Gujarat border, Tikait showed his passport to reporters and said he has brought it “in case it is required to enter Gujarat”.
Tikait alighted from a train at Abu Road station in neighbouring Rajasthan where he was welcomed by farmers.
When asked if he is carrying a COVID-19 negative report which is mandatory while travelling in Gujarat,he replied in the affirmative and said, “I have all the documents with me. This is my passport if it is required to enter Gujarat”.
Tikait is scheduled to address farmers at Palanpur later in the day.
Hundreds of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders since November of last year against the Centre’s agriculture reform laws. The protesting farmers are demanding the repeal of the three laws along with a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.
More than 10 rounds of talks between the central government and the farmers’ union have failed to end the deadlock.