Farmers Tractor Rally Episode: Act of Vandalism Displayed; Delhi Police Credibility Questioned

NEW DELHI: A day after farmers protesting against agricultural reforms breached barricades and clashed with police in the national capital as many as 200 people were detained in connection to the incident.

It is to be mentioned that while the rest of the country was celebrating the 72nd Republic Day, farmers camping at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points of New Delhi broke police barricades and forced their way into Delhi.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, Prahlad Patel on Wednesday visited the Red Fort in Delhi to take of the situation after some farmers protested in the iconic monument on Tuesday during the celebration of 72nd Republic Day.

The minister condemned the actions of the farmers who protested at the Red Fort and said that their actions violated the symbol of dignity of India's democracy.

Some farmers from their tractor rally deviated from their designated route and entered the Red Fort complex.

"The Red Fort is a symbol of the dignity of our democracy. The farmers should have stayed away from it. I condemn the violation of this dignity. It is sad and unfortunate," Patel said in a tweet.

Earlier, a clash broke out between police and protesting farmers after the latter reached ITO and tried to push towards Lutyen's Delhi, prompting the force to resort to lathi-charge and use tear gas shells against them.

The farmers who began their march from different border points, much before the time permitted to them for their tractor rally, reached ITO in Central Delhi despite the force denying them permission for it.

It was followed by a clash between police officials and the farmers.

On January 27, Twenty-two FIRs have been registered in connection with the violence during the rally yesterday, said the Delhi Police.

Whose flag was hoisted in the Red Fort on Republic Day?

The saffron flag hoisted by protesters from the staff at the iconic Red Fort during their tractor parade against the farm laws on Tuesday was the 'Nishan Sahib', a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes.

Who is said to be behind the violence?

One group of protesters burst through security at the historic Red Fort where they clambered on to the walls and domes of the fortress, even hoisting flags alongside the national flag.

Footage also showed farmers attacking police with sticks and metal bars while officers used tear gas and batons in which one protester died at the junction when his tractor overturned after hitting a barricade.

Meanwhile, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait claimed that it was due to the Delhi Police's 'actions' that some antisocial elements entered the parade and caused the violence.

"Some miscreants joined the protest to defame farmers' movement. We did not plan to unfurl the flags at Red Fort, this was not our program. Deep Sidhu's photo with the PM has floated, we had already expressed doubt over him," SS Pandher, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.

Have the farmers lost peoples' sympathy, credibility? Is the farmers' cause compromised?

With the action presented by the farmers in Delhi on January 26, surely the cause which was been followed and watched globally has been now de-marked as an act of vandalism. The peaceful tractor rally which turned ugly now has been recorded in the books of crime.

Meanwhile, a special investigation team of the Delhi Police Crime Branch is likely to investigate the incident.

Was the police ill-prepared? Did they not see this coming?

On the day of the January 26 incident, Delhi Police had over 50,000 personnel on the ground along with over 20,000 deployed on the routes fixed for the tractor rally.

Reports state that Delhi Police said they could not "anticipate the situation" and alleged that they were far outnumbered by the farmers.

Further, the police were instructed to be lenient with the protesters.

In an official statement released in the Tuesday evening, the Delhi Police said it is keeping a close watch on the situation, and "registering cases of violation of lawful directions, rioting, damage to public property and assault on a public servant with deadly weapons" with regard to the violence.

The struggle between police and farmers continued throughout the day until late evening, it said, adding that 86 policemen have been reported injured.

It is to be mentioned that now farmers have expressed their determination to continue with the protests demanding the repeal of the Centre's farm laws.

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