Rakesh Tikait accused Karnataka government of not providing security at the venue
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait was attacked with a microphone and then ink was thrown at him at a press meet in Bengaluru today. Three people have been detained in the case and investigation is underway, said the police.
Visuals showed a man seen approaching Mr Tikait and hitting with a microphone placed before him. Another man then throws ink at him. Chaos followed as the farmer leader's supporters rush to protect him. Visuals also showed chairs being flung around as chaos erupts at the venue.
Mr Tikait, a leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union and the face of the farmers' movement against the now repealed agricultural laws, had called the press meet to speak about a sting operation in which a Karnataka farmer leader was allegedly caught asking for money.
Following the ink attack, Mr Tikait accused the state BJP government of not providing security at the venue. "We were doing a press conference when some people came and started hitting us with the mics that were present there. It's Karnataka government and police's failure. It was a conspiracy and needs to be investigated," he said, according to news agency ANI.