Sanjay Raut meets farmer leader Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur protest site

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday reached the farmers protest site at Ghazipur on the DelhiUttar Pradesh border where he met Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh TikaitThe Maharashtra leader arrived at Ghazipur when security has been further tightened at the farmers protest siteRaut met Tikait and other protestors off the stage after reaching here around 1 pmldquoThe 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 saahabrdquo Raut told reportersTikait said ldquoThe farmers protest is apolitical and no politician has been given the mic or space on the stagerdquoA major Hindutva ally of the BJPled NDA till 2019 Shiv Sena was one of the 19 opposition parties which boycotted the Presidents address ahead of the Budget Session on January 29 and extended support to the farmers agitationPreviously leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal Aam Aadmi Party Congress Rashtriya Lok Dal Samajwadi Party among others visited Ghazipur which has become the camping ground for BKUled protestors for over two months now Of late thousands have converged in support of the ongoing stir against the contentious new farm lawsInitially farmer unions had maintained that their protests were apolitical but have lately welcomed politicians openlyRakesh Tikait on January 31 had said the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha SKM had not allowed political parties in the movement against new central farm laws but took political support ldquoonly after the democracy was mockedrdquo at protest sitesMeanwhile concertina wires spread further around the UP Gate Ghazipur border on Tuesday while multilayered barricading of iron and concrete structures along with nails studded on roads made sure no protestor movement towards DelhiThe internet also remained suspended at the protest siteThousands of farmers have been protesting at the Delhi borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh demanding a rollback of the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion and Facilitation Act 2020 Farmers Empowerment and Protection Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities Amendment Act 2020The protesting farmers have expressed the apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price MSP system leaving them at the mercy of big corporationsHowever the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agricultureThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever