SKM demands strict punishment for those who threw ink on Tikait in Bengaluru
New Delhi, May 30: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has demanded strict punishment for those who threw ink on Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait in Bengaluru on Monday.
The umbrella organisation of over 40 farm unions has also demanded that the police officers "guilty for this negligence" be suspended and a judicial inquiry ordered in the matter.
Alleging that the Karnataka government had not made any security arrangements for Tikait, the SKM said, "The photo of the prime accused along with former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, BJP's state vice-president Vijayendra, current Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol has now made it clear that the attack was sponsored by the BJP."
Miscreants threw ink on Tikait during an event organised by a farmers' organisation at Bengaluru's Gandhi Bhavan on Monday, following which three people were arrested.
Soon after the incident, clashes broke out between the organisers of the event and the miscreants, leading to both sides attacking each other with plastic chairs. The miscreants then allegedly shouted "Modi, Modi".
"It is also clear that the BJP government had not made any security arrangements, despite the tense atmosphere due to a television channel's propaganda campaign against the farmers' movement for the past few days," the SKM said in a statement.
It said it would not be appropriate to ignore the attack as a small incident since Tikait was "attacked" on earlier occasions as well.
"Rakesh Tikait should be provided security. This incident has once again exposed the anti-farmer face of the BJP. Farmers know how to teach a lesson through peaceful and democratic means to this government, which has repeatedly sponsored attacks on them," the statement said.
Jnanendra dismissed the allegation that those who targeted Tikait were BJP leaders.
"We are in touch with the officers. Three people have been arrested and are being interrogated. I denounce this act. Everyone has got the right to freedom of expression under the Constitution," the Karnataka home minister said.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
