Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has termed the police case against Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait an “attempt to silence” the voice of farmers.

Mr. Kumaraswamy tweeted criticising the case against Mr. Tikait on charges of making provocative speeches in Shivamogga and Haveri. In his tweets, the JD(S) leader said there was nothing provocative in Mr. Tikait’s statements calling upon farmers to stage protest against the anti-farm laws in Bengaluru. “It is well within the rights granted by the Constitution to take up struggles and to give a call for struggle. Mr. Tikait did not call for assaulting or killing”, he said and demanded the cases be withdrawn at the earliest.

Mr. Kumaraswamy wondered how many BJP leaders would have faced cases if the police were to register cases for provocative speeches.