Stones pelted at Rakesh Tikait’s convoy: Police

Stones were allegedly pelted at the convoy of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, damaging the rear windshield of his car.

Police have detained a student leader, who the Bhartiya Kisan Union claimed, belonged to ABVP, the student wing of the BJP, and accused the party of being behind the attack.

Tikait, however, was not in his car when the stones were allegedly pelted, Bhiwadi Superintendent of Police Ram Murti Joshi said, adding no one was injured in the incident.

The incident took place when Tikait’s convoy reached Tatarpur chauraha on its way to his second rally venue, the SP said, adding the farmer leader addressed two rallies in the district on Friday.

He said Kuldeep Rai, a student leader of Alwar-based Matsya University, along with his supporters showed black flags when the cavalcade was passing.

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"At this, some of the cars stopped and their occupants in the vehicles argued with them over the issue. Amid all this, the windshield of one car was damaged apparently in stone pelting,” the SP said.

BKU’s state president Rajaram Meel, who was accompanying Tikait, alleged that at least 40 to 50 people carrying sticks stopped the convoy and entered into an altercation with them.

"We were moving towards Bansur after addressing the first meeting in Harsoli when the incident took place,” he said. Meel said Tikait addressed the second meeting after the incident.

Former CPI(M) MLA Amra Ram, who too was accompanying Tikat, alleged that the attack was carried out by the ABVP members at the behest of the BJP. BKU spokesperson in Ghaziabad also blamed ABVP for the attack.

"Some ABVP activists attacked Rakesh Tikait and damaged the rear windshield of his vehicle for which BKU workers staged a sit-in. Police arrested the errant activists after which the sit-in protest was called off,” BKU media in-charge Dharmendra Malik told PTI in Ghaziabad.