Cases against Tikait expose hidden agenda of Yediyurappa: Siddaramaiah

Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Siddaramaiah said the cases filed against Bharatiya Kisan Union president Rakesh Tikait have exposed the hidden agenda of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa

Leader of Opposition in Karnataka and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said the cases filed against Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Rakesh Tikait in Shivamogga and Haveri has exposed the hidden agenda of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

Siddaramaiah also urged Yediyurappa to withdraw all cases filed against the farmer's leader.

"I condemn the decision of the police to file cases against farmer's leader Rakesh Tikait. This has exposed the hidden agenda of self-proclaimed farmer's leader BS Yediyurappa. I urge him to immediately withdraw all the cases against Tikait," he tweeted.

"It has become a norm for the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leaders to consider all anti-farm act protestors as criminals but the people of our country know who the real culprits are," he added.

He further said it is foolish on the part of Karnataka BJP leaders to think that they can control farmers by using the police force.

Two cases have been registered, one each in Karnataka's Shivamogga and Haveri, against Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Rakesh Tikait over his recent speech in Shivamogga.

On Saturday, while addressing a gathering of farmers, Tikait had said farmers in Karnataka should organise a protest in the state similar to that of Delhi and gherao Bengaluru from all sides.

"You need to make a 'Delhi' in Bengaluru. You need to gherao Bengaluru (like Delhi) from all sides and people will come and join your protest...The Prime Minister said farmers can sell crops anywhere so you take your crops to offices of District Collector, SDM and if the police stop you, ask them to buy crops on MSP," Tikait had said.