Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday appealed to Rahul Gandhi to take up the cause of farmers and fishermen of Jaitapur. He also promised to support and participate in Rahul’s agitation if the Congress leader agreed to agitate for the people affected by the proposed nuclear power project.
“If the Congress yuvraj Rahul Gandhi is so concerned about the forcible acquisition of farmers’ land and atrocities on them, he should come to Jaitapur and lead the agitation of farmers and fishermen there. We will also participate in that agitation,” Mr Thackeray said.
Terming Mr Gandhi’s padayatra in Uttar Pradesh as a political stunt, the Sena leader said, “Mr Gandhi has started a massive agitation against the Mayawati government’s land acquisition. He has taken a stand that lands of farmers cannot be acquired forcibly and in protest went on the padayatra. But this love for farmers is a sham being played out by Mr Gandhi and his Congress party. It is only a political nautanki.”
The Sena leader further said that the Congress-led state government in Maharashtra has committed atrocities against farmers and fishermen living in Jaitapur and nearby villages.
***
Farmer leader behind Bhatta stir arrested
aNew Delhi/Noida, July 9: Farmer leader Manveer Singh Tewatia was arrested on Saturday from New Delhi’s Tilak Bridge area, allegedly for instigating farmers’ violence in Bhatta-Parsaul in May.
Mr Tewatia was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police after a three-km chase through the city, the police said.
“Today (Saturday) we arrested Manveer Singh Tewatia in Hauz Khas area. For the past 15 days, we were keeping a close watch on house No. C-31 in Hauz Khas. We arrested him following a tip-off last night,” said Noida senior superintendent of police S.N. Singh.
The caretaker of the Hauz Khas house in south Delhi, where Mr Tewatia was hiding, is Sansar Chand. “On Saturday morning, our team followed Mr Tewatia when he was going from Hauz Khas in a blue Esteem car in which there was also a woman and a driver. On seeing the police, Mr Tewatia jumped from the car and ran. He was caught after a three-km chase,” Mr Singh added. The police had announced a reward of `50,000 for his arrest. Mr Tewatia has been taken to Noida.
“We are verifying who were his accomplices. The person, who was in touch with Mr Tewatia, has been identified as Kesari Singh Gujjar. —IANS