Tikait slams PM Modi for visiting Kedarnath Temple on eve of portal closure
Nov 05, 2021
Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 5 : Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday, while reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kedarnath temple, said that a country whose head offers prayers at a temple at a time when its gates are about to be closed, faces famines, starvation and disasters.
He further stated that a country's head should visit temples for opening its gates and not to close the temple portals.
"A country, whose ruler offers prayers at a temple at the time when its portals are about to shut, faces famines, starvation and disasters. The ruler should visit the temples to open their gates not close it," said Tikait while speaking to ANI here today.
Tikait's remarks came as PM Modi offered prayers at the Kedarnath Temple on the eve of the day when the sacred portals of Kedarnath and Yamunotri temples in Uttarakhand will be closed for winter this year, on November 6.
Reiterating the demands of the protesting farmers, Tikait further said, "The country's farmers will not leave the protest and go anywhere. If a government can run for five years, then this protest which has the endorsement of the people will continue till Indian government doesn't pass a law ensuring MSP and repeal three farm laws."
Tikait also reiterated his earlier statement that farmers will strengthen their agitation against central farm laws from November 27 at protest sites by reaching Delhi borders with tractors.
"We have asked the farmers to keep their tractor ready, filled with diesel, pointing towards Delhi," he added.
Farmers have been protesting at different sites since November 26 last year against the three enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Farmer leaders and the Centre have held several rounds of talks but the impasse remains.
