As the farmers' protest intensifies following the Republic day clashes, politics erupts in entire farmer issue.  Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress Party along with other political parties are lending their support to the farmers after Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait wept in front of media.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, who earlier shunned political parties is now embracing these parties with gusto taking a U-turn from his own words.

Over 5,000 farmers gathered in support of Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait in Muzaffarnagar’s Sisauli village on Thursday evening after he burst into tears in front of television cameras, accusing the BJP of hatching a conspiracy against him, the union’s Muzaffarnagar district chief Dheeraj Latiyan said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday lashed out at the Centre over the farmers’ protest alleging that the government is ‘destroying the livelihood of farmers’ and warned that the agitation will spread further into other cities of the country.

“Farmers haven’t understood the bill completely. Only in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, they have understood. The government should know that these protests will not stop here. This agitation will spread from here to the big cities because it is not only the farmers who have been robbed of their livelihood,” Gandhi said during a press conference.

Rahul Gandhi further said, “It is going to create instability which is not good for the country."

Urging the government to have a conversation with farmers, the Congress leader also said that the only solution is to repeal the farm laws and “put them in a wastebasket”.

When being asked about the violence occurred on Republic day, Rahul said, “Why were people allowed in the Red Fort? Why weren’t they stopped? Ask the Home Minister what the objective was, of letting those people inside the premises."

A united opposition, including the TMC, NCP, Congress, CPM and Shiv Sena, demanded that farm laws be repealed at the earliest and the Centre take responsibility for failing to secure the capital on Republic day.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday visited the Ghazipur border, where farmers are protesting against the new farm laws, to check the arrangements made for them by the city government.

"The AAP supports the protesting farmers and I have come here to check the arrangements made by the Delhi government. I have checked the arrangements of drinking water, toilets and other basic amenities for the farmers," he said.

At the same time, AAP MPs, led by Sanjay Singh, held a sit-in protest at the Parliament demanding the farm laws be withdrawn.

Opposition parties which boycotted the President’s address in the Parliament on Friday morning over the same issue.

Samajwadi Party Chief and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav also called up farmer leader Naresh Tikait to enquire about his health. During the telephonic conversation, Akhilesh Yadav assured Naresh Tikait that the Samajwadi Party will stand firmly with the farmers.

Naresh Tikait on Thursday evening refused to end the protest ongoing at Ghazipur border. Even after speaking with the administration, Tikait refused to change his decision. Two ADMs and two SPs of Ghaziabad had reached Gazipur to talk to Rakesh Tikait. ADM Shailendra said that he had come to inquire about his health.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh has announced support to the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), the members of which are staging a protest against the Centre's new farm laws at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border.

The former Union minister has spoken to BKU president Naresh Tikait and spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, RLD vice president and his son Jayant Chaudhary said.

"It is a matter of life and death for farmers, but do not worry. All have to stay together, united in this -- this is Chaudhary saahab's  (Ajit Singh's) message," the RLD vice president said in a tweet in Hindi.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said that the government has treated the farmers with a casual attitude. It must repeal farm laws.

Farmers have been protesting against the new farm laws passed by the Centre for the past two months, and the various rounds of talks between the Union government and the farmer unions have been consistently inconclusive as the central government ignores the main demand of the farmers to repeal the farm bills.

Image Source: ANI