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Who is Rakesh Tikait?
Son of revolutionary farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, Rakesh Tikait is a Delhi Police constable-turned-politician from Uttar Pradesh, who has become a leader in spearheading the farmers' protests. He is the spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).
Born in the Sisauli town of Muzaffarnagar, UP, Rakesh Tikait is the younger brother of BKU National President Naresh Tikait. The brothers came into prominence when in November 2020, BKU joined the farmers protesting farm Bills passed by the central government. Later, Delhi Police filed an FIR against Naresh Tikait for the alleged role in violence on Republic Day, and Rakesh Tikait becoming the frontrunner in leading the farmers against the government's farm laws and demanding farmers' rights.
Tikait joined Delhi Police in 1992 as constable and later sub-inspector, but left the service during the farmers' protest in 1993-94 and joined the union. In 2007, he contested in UP Assembly elections as a candidate of the Bahujan Kisan Dal but finished at sixth position. Later in the 2014 General Assembly elections, he stood from a Rashtriya Lok Dal ticket but could garner only 1 per cent of votes. During the farmers' protest in January 2021, Tikait confessed that he voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2019 General elections.
The 51-year-old leader has been conducting public meetings in various parts of India and said the stir by the Indian farmers would continue until the three laws are repealed and the government guarantees Minimum Support Price for their crops.