Apologise to Bishnois: Rakesh Tikait to Salman amid Lawrence group threat

Amidst reports of a threat to Bollywood star Salman Khan's life from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday said the actor should apologise to the Bishnoi community because if a dispute is resolved by apologising, then there is nothing wrong in it.

Tikait, who was here to take part in a farmers' "Mahapanchayat", said this while replying to a reporter's question on jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

"If any dispute ends by apologising to the Bishnoi community, then what is wrong in it? If a mistake has been made knowingly or unknowingly, then what does Salman Khan lose in apologising?" the farmer leader asked.

He also alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government, which had promised free electricity to farmers, has started installing meters in their fields.

"We do not know how free electricity will come from the meters," he said while talking to reporters after the "Kisan Mahapanchayat" held at Mundera in Prayagraj.

"If meters are to be installed, then they (BJP) will have to bring it in their manifesto before the 2027 (Uttar Pradesh) Assembly polls. Otherwise a meter will not be installed in a farmer's field," Tikait said.

Regarding the price of paddy, he alleged that the crop is being procured from farmers in Purvanchal's Jaunpur, Mirzapur and Ballia at the rate of Rs 1,200 per quintal.

"The same is the case with maize. In Bihar alone, farmers have suffered a loss of Rs 1 lakh crore by selling crops at low prices. This is the condition of all the states," Tikait said.

"A big conspiracy is being hatched to make people live as bonded labourers of the government. This government wants to make India a country of workers because there is a huge shortage of workers in industries," he added.

On the Agniveer scheme for short-term military recruitment, Tikait claimed that those recruited under it will have to work as security guards in the coming days and claimed that a particular business group needs 25,000 security guards.

"Agniveers will work as guards in the coming days because a particular (business) group alone needs 25,000 guards. This recruitment (of Agniveers) is being done for that. This country will become a labour-dominated country from an agriculture-dominated one," he said.