MEERUT, July 23 -- Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday alleged that Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar did not step down of his own accord but was forced to resign by a government "increasingly controlled by capitalists."

Tikait claimed Dhankhar had consistently spoken in favour of villages, the poor, and farmers --stances that, he said, are not welcome in the current political ecosystem.

"No medical reasons were cited at the time of his resignation. Dhankhar has always voiced concerns about rural India. This government only promotes capitalists, and anyone who speaks for villages, the poor, and farmers has no place in the system," Tikait told reporters at his camp office in Muzaffarnagar.

He further allege...