Baghpat, Oct 30 (IANS): Nand Kishor Gurjar, the BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh's Loni Assembly seat, has again stoked a controversy by saying that Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait would have been killed in an encounter had he not been among the farmers.

“Had he not been surrounded by farmers during the agitation, he would have been eliminated in an encounter,” he said.

Speaking to media persons in Baghpat on Sunday on the sidelines of an event, Gurjar alleged, “Rakesh Tikait will be remembered as a dark chapter in history as he has cheated farmers. Had the agricultural bills been enacted, the lives of farmers would have changed. The bill brought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have liberated farmers from the clutches of middlemen worldwide.”

He then said, “Rakesh Tikait, in collusion with Khalistanis and middlemen, has committed heinous acts and the country’s farmers will not even allow him to set foot two years from now.”

“The country was first slaved by Mughals, then by the British and now Tikait has done the same by hoisting a flag of Khalistan in place of national Tricolour,” Gurjar alleged.

Reacting on Gurjar’s statement BKU leader Rakesh Tikait demanded that the MLA must show where he (Tikait) hoisted the flag of Khalistan.

“Even PM Narendra Modi visits Gurudwara,” he said and demanded that the government should give a clarification about Gurjar’s statement of encounter.

“We will write a letter to the government to know what was the reason for making such a statement,” the farmer leader added.

Gurjar was accused of creating chaos during farmers’ protest and his men had allegedly beaten protesting farmers in presence of police.