Bharatiya Kisan Union (Arajnaitik) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday said members of his organisation were not involved in the thrashing of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA in Punjab’s Muktsar. Tikait, 51, also alleged that the attack was orchestrated by the saffron party to defame farmers, ANI reported. 

“Our people were not involved (in thrashing a BJP MLA in Punjab’s Muktsar). Our people showed black flags but were not involved in this incident. On the contrary, it was done by their people to defame farmers,” Tikait told ANI. 

On Saturday, BJP MLA Arun Narang was allegedly thrashed and had his clothes torn by a group of farmers in Muktsar district’s Malout.  

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The incident happened when Narang, MLA from Punjab’s Abohar constituency, arrived to address a press conference in Malout along with another local leader and was surrounded by a group of farmers, who also threw black ink at them, police said.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha – an umbrella body of farmer unions – leader Darshan Pal later confirmed that the farmers were protesting against the BJP MLA but condemned the violence. 

The incident was also condemned by Punjab’s ruling Congress, BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). 

An FIR in connection with the incident was registered at the Malout police station on Sunday.