IT Correspondent
Nagpur, Feb 20:
The farmers’ leader Rakesh Tikait, who was to address the farmers’ meeting on Saturday in Yavatmal in the Vidarbha region in eastern Maharashtra, cancelled the meeting in view of the COVID-19 situation and also a “call” he received from an imposter saying that he will be quarantined for 14 days.
Tikait, one of the leaders of farmers’ agitation on Delhi borders against the Centre’s new farm laws, was to address the rally at Azad Maidan. While the police had already refused permission for the rally, Tikait also received a telephone call claiming to be from the Superintendent of Police, Yavatmal saying that the COVID- 19 situation had deteriorated in Yavatmal and he will be quarantined for 14 days. This would jeopardise his plans to resume agitation in Delhi, after the rally.
Tikait also spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who too advised him to postpone his rally in view of the rising COVID-19 cases in Vidarbha.
Earlier the Yavatmal district administration had denied permission for Tikait’s ‘Maha Panchayat’ rally which was to take place on Saturday. However the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, organizer of the rally, applied again for the permission. However it was again denied on Friday.
On Thursday, officials had ordered curbs on gatherings and also closure of schools (which had reopened for select classes) for ten days in view of the rising cases of coronavirus, in Yavatmal.
In the meanwhile Tikait has claimed that the agitation will continue and the farmers will join the agitation in turns after attending to harvesting work depending upon the crop patterns. For instance the farmers from Madhya Pradesh will join first. Then it will be turn of the farmers from Uttar Pradesh. If need be they will sell their produce at loss, but will not give up the agitation.