Two days after his Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) appealed to party workers to reach agitation sites on Delhi borders to support farmers, its president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday visited Ghazipur border and “honoured” farmer leader Rakesh Tikait.
Tikait was presented a ‘siropa’ or Sikh ceremonial sash as well as ‘amrit’ or nectar from the holy pond around Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar in Punjab and assured of total support of the Akalis to ensure the success of the agitation.
The SAD had pulled out of the ruling NDA over the contentious farm laws last year.
Sukhbir, who met Tikait in front of a huge gathering here on the Delhi-UP border, said the farmer leader had done the farming community proud by following in the footsteps of his late father Mahinder Singh Tikait, who was a towering farmer leader of his time.
He also recalled the joint battles Tikait senior and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal had fought for the welfare of the peasantry.
The SAD on Friday called upon its party workers to rush to three dharna sites on Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-UP borders in larger numbers to boost the farmers’ agitation.
Tikait, while speaking highly about the SAD patron’s contribution towards the farmers cause, told the SAD President that he would visit Badal village to meet the five-time Chief Minister, who is father of Sukhbir, and take his blessings.
The SAD chief requested all political parties to leave aside petty differences and unite for the greater cause of the peasantry. He said it was now clear that the farmers of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP, besides those from other parts of the country, had formed a united front.
Prior to Sukhbir Badal’s arrival, Tikait announced that no politician will be handed over microphone to speak on the main stage, claiming that he has received a notice for allowing political leaders to address protesters in the last few days.
