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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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
