One of the main groups leading the farmers’ agitation, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu), saw discord over the opening of the highway at the border of Chilla. The highway from Noida to Delhi was the only one left open as farmers’ demonstrations erupted and the Delhi-Jaipur border was closed to avoid farmers coming from Rajasthan to Delhi.
The decision to open the highway, which had been closed for 14 days, was taken by Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh, president of the association.
But the UP head of the BKU (Bhanu) Yogesh Pratap, who had been conducting a sit-in protest on the road for the last 12 days, disagreed.
Not only did he resist opening the way, but he said he was going to sit there fast to death. The place was soon turned into a protest venue, complete with recitations of holy texts.
National Secretary General Chimhendra Singh Chauroli and national spokesperson Satish Chaudhary resigned to protest the decision to open the road. The president of the group was accused of being a traitor to the farmer culture.