Old rivalry, new flashpoint: Tikait heckled at rally, BKU calls panchayat

The rivalry is old, but the face-off is new. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), a key player in the historic farmers’ protest that forced the Modi government to repeal three controversial farm laws, is once again in the crosshairs of the BJP-RSS combine.

Rakesh Tikait, a prominent BKU leader, was heckled during a rally in Muzaffarnagar held to condemn the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.

He was about to address the public meeting — organised in solidarity with the Pahalgam terror attack victims — but his turban was knocked off by some people. Speaking to reporters later, Tikait called it a "conspiracy" by "a political party" to silence the voice of farmers.

The incident has sparked a political controversy and outraged reactions from farmers' groups, including the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farmers' unions.

The SKM issued a statement on Saturday, and announced it would launch a united campaign with the BKU at the village and town levels to strengthen people’s unity and safeguard the secular and democratic fabric of the country.

The SKM said: “Instead of uniting people against the imperialist-sponsored terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a section of the mob, waving bhagwa (saffron) flags and chanting ‘Modi, Modi’, manhandled Rakesh Tikait, struck him with flagpoles, and removed his turban with the intent to cause serious harm. The few police personnel present failed to prevent the assault. This has exposed the anti-national, neo-fascist face of the RSS-BJP combine.”

Placing the incident in a broader context, the SKM accused the ruling establishment of exploiting public anger over terrorism to fuel hatred. “The RSS-BJP combine is using the terrorist attack in Kashmir to fan hostility against minorities, farmers, workers, and progressive sections committed to India’s secular and democratic traditions,” the statement reads.

The BKU has called for a panchayat on Saturday which many say will be a show of strength. The Samajwadi Party also condemned the attack. In a strongly worded statement, party chief Akhilesh Yadav said: “The BJP has not just thrown away the turban of one farmer leader, but of every farmer. Chaudhary Charan Singh fought all his life for the dignity of farmers. This attack insults that legacy. From the Ghazipur border to Ghazipur, every farmer in UP is agitated. Others may forget the lathis and humiliation, but a true farmer never will. This is condemnable.”

This is not an isolated incident. Just days earlier, Rakesh Tikait’s brother Naresh Tikait faced backlash for criticising the Modi government's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.

Naresh had argued that the move would primarily hurt ordinary citizens and farmers in the neighbouring country. His remarks invited sharp criticism from RSS-affiliated groups, with calls for action against the Tikait brothers, who have been vocal critics of the BJP. Rakesh Tikait had campaigned against the ruling party during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and in the last Uttar Pradesh and Haryana assembly elections.

He has consistently questioned the legitimacy of the BJP's electoral victories, alleging that the party manipulates the system through various means such as dividing opposition votes, using the administration as a tool, and by manipulating EVMs.

Tikait has often asserted that despite widespread public dissatisfaction, particularly among farmers and labourers, the BJP continues to secure seats, which he attributed to political 'calculations' and not genuine public support.

Watchers of UP politics say the rivalry between the BJP-RSS and the BKU faction led by the Tikaits is old, but the flashpoint is new — the Pahalgam terror attack.