GHAZIABAD: Residents of three villages in Ghaziabad have boycotted and banned entry of their local MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar for “disrespecting” farmers, days after he was accused of intimidating protesters at the ongoing farmer’s agitation against new farm laws at Ghazipur.
Banners declaring opposition to the BJP MLA have come up in Banthla, Behta and Afzalpur Nistoli villages, where locals and panchayats have made the boycott announcements in the last few days.
Nand Kishor, however, has denied the allegations and claimed that Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who is leading the protest at Ghazipur border, has falsely accused him and is “misleading” the country over the issue.
The MLA also offered to resign from the post if allegations about his presence at protest site are proved.
“Gaon Banthala Loni Vidhayak Nand Kishor Gurjar ka bahishkaar karta hai. Jo Kisanon ka apmaan karega, Banthla gaon use bardaasth nahin karega (Village Banthala boycotts Loni MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar. Banthala won’t tolerate anyone who disrespects farmers),” reads a banner hung at the Banthla village entry point.
A similar banner came up in Afzalpur Nistoli village on Monday, a day after the announcement in Banthla.
On January 31, elderly people at Behta too announced boycott of the local MLA after a panchayat and appealed to him to not visit the hamlet.
“Nand Kishor went to Rakesh Tikait’s event and spoke wrong things there. In view of this, the village, its society and the panchayat decided to boycott him. Please do not visit this village,” village’s panchayat member Mohan Singh Dhama announced.
Earlier, prominent Gurjar leader and former MLA Madan Bhaiyya had also lashed out at Nand Kishor for his alleged actions and extended his community’s support to the farmers’ “peaceful and non-political” protest.
“But ruckus created by one anti-national element has embarrassed the whole country and because of which the protesting farmers felt discouraged and demotivated despite being innocent,” he had said in a statement.
