No permission for Rakesh Tikait's Yavatmal rally amid rise in Covid cases

Yavatmal district administration in Maharashtra on Friday again denied permission for farmer leader Rakesh Tikait's 'Maha Panchayat' rally which was to take place on Saturday.

The administration had rejected an earlier application for permission too, and the latest application was also rejected in view of the worsening coronavirus situation in the district, a senior official told PTI.

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.

The rally by Tikait, one of the leaders of farmers' agitation on Delhi borders against the Centre's new farm laws, was to take place at Azad Maidan ground in Yavatmal city in eastern Maharashtra.

The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, organizer of the rally, had said earlier in the day that it was firm on holding the Maha Panchayat.

Maharashtra co-ordinator of the Morcha Sandip Gidde had said that Tikait would arrive in Nagpur on Friday night and they would stage a sit-in if the rally was not allowed.