India News | Political People Behind Farmers' Agitation, Alleges Former Uttarakhand CM

Budaun (UP), Feb 26 (PTI) Former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Rawat on Monday alleged that political people are behind the ongoing farmers' agitation.

Rawat addressed sportspersons and women of various self-help groups in Budaun on Monday, and later spoke to reporters.

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He said, "The farmers' agitation is not of the farmers but it is political. Farmers are arriving in the agitation with JCBs, tractors and weapons because political people are behind this movement."

To a question on the violence in Haldwani district of Uttarakhand, Rawat said that it was pre-planned. The matter is under investigation, he said.

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The BJP leader said people had collected stones on the rooftops, police station was attacked and petrol bombs were thrown. The attack was a well-planned conspiracy, he said.

Rawat also said the damage caused to government property in Haldwani will be recovered from the rioters.

Six people were killed and more than 100 people, including police personnel and journalists, were injured in the Banbhoolpura violence.

Regarding the allegation by Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav that the government is exerting pressure on the MLAs in connection with the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections, Rawat said Yadav does not trust his MLAs and hence, he is giving such statement.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)