Farmer protests intensify after Rakesh Tikait breaks down in tears at Ghazipur This comes days after the farmer protests were maligned post-Republic Day violence By Bhavya Singh| Edited by Sruthi Vibhavari | Updated: 29th January 2021 3:50 pm IST Rakesh Tikait even announced a hunger strike and declared that he was ‘ready to face bullets or kill himself’. Ghazipur: Hundreds of farmers arrived at the Ghazipur protesting site after Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Thursday broke down in tears, declaring that he was ready to “face bullets or kill himself”. This comes days after the farmer protests were maligned post-Republic Day violence, and on Friday, hundreds of supporters arrived in support at Ghazipur, flouting direct orders by the police to clear the protest site.