After the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, around twenty-five thousand farmers had gathered at the site of the violence, and they had been extremely angry. Many were allegedly carrying swords, sticks and licensed guns. But the state government somehow managed to disperse them, without letting the situation escalate. How did it manage to do that? The answer is Rakesh Tikait.

In this episode, Bhupendra Pandey, Indian Express’ resident editor from Lucknow, talks about how the prominent farm leader and spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) was roped in by the UP government, and how he managed to become a savior for them.