Social media users are sharing an image of Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait’s inked face claiming that people of Rajasthan blackened his face when he went there to ask people for Bharat Bandh in Rajasthan against the farm laws passed by the government of India in September 2020. The faces of his supporters’ are also black.
The edited image could be traced back to January 2021, at the Delhi border, when Tikait had refused to hold negotiations with the Committee constituted by the Supreme Court over the three controversial farm laws. No instance of an ink attack on the farmer leader was reported at the time. ANI had tweeted the image with the caption, “Delhi Police issues notice to Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait asking to explain as to why legal action should not be taken against him for breaching the agreement with police regarding the tractor rally on January 26.”
ANI had also shared a YouTube video of Rakesh Tikait with the title, “We don’t know, we’re not going: Rakesh Tikait on SC-formed committee’s meeting”. The YouTube video had tagged the Singhu border as the location. Hence, the image is not of Rajasthan.
The BKU leader’s convoy was attacked in Alwar while he was on his way to address a gathering in Harsora village.
While blaming local BJP leaders for the attack, Tikait stated that they pelted stones damaging the car, threw ink and showed black flags to the farmers. He also alleged that they “tried to snatch the gun from security personnel”.
The violent group broke the rear windshield of a car and even threw black ink, but Tikait was not present in the car.
Among the 16 arrested in the incident so far, Kuldeep Yadav, a student leader associated with BJP’s student wing, ABVP, reportedly spent around Rs 50,000 to recruit youngsters for the attack on the BKU leader.
While the BJP has denied any link to Yadav, additional SP of Alwar Gurusharan Rao told TNIE that the student leader had “hoped to create a special identity for himself” by organising the attack and “create a political space for himself”. Thus, the viral image is morphed.
