Rakesh Tikait questions Vice President Dhankhar’s resignation, alleges government pressure
New Delhi: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson and prominent farmers’ rights activist Rakesh Tikait has alleged that Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation was not merely due to health issues, but was the result of mounting political pressure from within the ruling government.
Speaking to News Tak, Tikait accused the central leadership of systematically targeting those who raise concerns about farmers' issues.
Commenting on the resignation, Tikait said, “Who resigns without reason? Only someone who is under pressure. A real person wouldn’t resign so easily, he would rather suffer in silence than step down. This resignation wasn’t voluntary. The government must have forced him.” He suggested that Dhankhar, being a son of a farmer, was possibly sidelined for speaking in favour of farmers, a stance that the government allegedly does not support.
“There will be many more like Satpal Malik. Many will become like Dhankar Sahab. Anyone who talks about farmers is made to resign or is defamed. If someone raises issues of land and crops, they are pushed out,” he said. He further added that the current government, which he labelled as being pro-trader and pro-industrialist, was not aligned with the interests of farming communities. “This party is for big businessmen. They want to take away the farmers’ land. If Dhankhar had continued to speak on such matters, they wouldn’t have allowed him to remain in the Vice President’s seat.”
He also criticised the government's alleged use of investigation agencies to suppress dissent. “If someone becomes like Satpal Malik, their ED will be set loose on them. Even if they’re dying, the government will find a way to bring them back and cover everything up,” he said.
Tikait expressed concern about how farmers and Jat leaders are being treated. Referring to Samajwadi Party MP Harendra Malik’s remarks, he said, “Every Jat works for the honour of farmers, but they never receive that respect. First, they are provoked, then they are defamed in society. That’s the pattern.”
He also claimed that the current leadership wants to weaken entire communities by removing their representatives. “This government doesn’t want leaders from any community; they only want the people. They’ve removed their own and sidelined them. Now they’re working only on the voters, not their voices.”
Tikait warned that democracy itself is at risk, calling the government’s approach increasingly authoritarian. “This is not a democracy anymore, it’s a dictatorship. They won’t speak, but you never know whom they’ll act against. The Supreme Court has to remain alert if the country is to be saved. If we don’t use our rights and make sacrifices, this government will sweep everyone away, even the protesters.”
When asked who might be chosen to succeed Dhankhar, Tikait responded, “Nobody knows who will get that position. The ones whose names are discussed publicly usually don’t get it. This government can bring down anyone by making their names trend, and then they ‘fix’ it. That’s how they work.”
Furthermore Tikait remarked, “Those below 50 years of age may become the next Dushyant Chautala. Those above 50, they’ll become like Satpal Malik, respected but excluded. There’s a long list of such people. But why name them?”
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Barber held for beating man to death over 'bidi' in east Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): A 32-year-old barber was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly beating a man to death following an altercation over a 'bidi' in east Delhi's Pandav Nagar area, police said.
A call regarding the incident that occurred near the bus stand road in Shashi Garden was received at 1.24 am, they said.
The victim was identified as Deepak (28), while the accused was Manoj, he added.
According to the police, during an argument, the accused picked up a wooden stick lying nearby and struck the victim repeatedly on the head. Multiple injuries and bruise marks were also found on the victim's forehead.
"Deepak was taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, but doctors declared him brought dead," an officer said.
An FIR has been registered and further investigation is underway, the officer added.
