Farmers rebuff Congress neta's 'liquor help'; Rakesh Tikait asks 'What use of it here?'

Rebuffing Congress' attempts to help farmers with 'money and liquor', BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Monday asked 'what is the use of liquor?'. Condemning her offer, he distanced the farmer movement from Haryana Congress, stating 'They can distribute whatever they want to, at their movement'. Protests continue for the 79th day at Delhi's borders - Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur.

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Rakesh Tikait: 'What's the use of liquor here?'

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Congress neta: 'We can give money, liquor'

On Saturday, Haryana Congress leader Vidya Rani urged party workers to strengthen the farmers' agitation by taking care of their needs - be it money, vegetables, or liquor. Stating that Congress was almost destroyed after the (state or Centre) polls, she said that the farmers' agitation had given a new lease to the party. Chalking out a plan to hold padyatras in all districts in Haryana, she said that 'this was not just a farmers' agitation, but a people's agitation'.

"We should do padayatra in every district, as they come under control, This will give Congress a new direction and Congress will be reborn. When we lost this time, our existence has almost been destroyed. This agitation was finished on January 26, but it was reignited because farmers' ideals were strong.  We should not leave any stone unturned. Be it money, vegetables, liquor-we can contribute to them as we like and strengthen this agitation. This is not just a farmer agitation, but agitation for all of us," she said.

Her comments were condemned by Haryana Minister Anil Vij who said that it had exposed the mentality of Congress. He said that Congress was trying to revive its party using farmers. Similarly, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday, claimed that 'this exposed what the protests for Congress'. Meanwhile, his colleague Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat scoffed at Vidya Rani's plan saying that 'the dead Congress party can't be revived with liquor'.

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Farmers protests intensify

After completing a peaceful 'Chakka Jam' across India except in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, farmers have intensified the protests with BKU leader Rakesh Tikait announcing a tour across Western India from February 14 to 23 - covering Haryana Maharashtra and Rajasthan, holding Kisan Mahapanchayats in these places to encourage more farmers to join the protests. Moreover, after the violence witnessed on Republic Day, Delhi police fortified the city borders by cementing nails near barricades, deploying additional troops, adding barbed wires etc at Ghazipur (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh) and Tikri (Delhi-Haryana) borders, blocking access to the roads completely. MHA had snapped off internet across all three border areas - Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur and later extended the ban to 1-2 days more. Farmers have reiterated 'No Ghar Wapsi till Law Wapsi', as the protests have caught several international celebrities' interest online.

Haryana Congress neta urges workers to help farmers protest: 'Can give them money, liquor'