Farmers and police clash at ITO in Delhi on Tuesday. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)Farmers’ Protest Live Updates: New Delhi witnessed violent scenes on Republic Day as farmers participating in a tractor rally clashed with the police, broke barricades and stormed the Red Fort, and the police responded with tear gases and lathi charge. One protester was killed.
Even as the Delhi police said the clashes had led to “extensive damage to public property” and injuries to “many policemen”, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha issued a statement distancing itself from the ‘violent elements’. The farmer body called off the tractor rally with immediate effect while maintaining that the movement will continue peacefully.
The Delhi Police said the protesting farmers violated conditions agreed for the tractor rally. “Farmers began tractor parade before the scheduled time, resorted to violence and vandalism. Farmers’ protest led to extensive damage to public property, many policemen injured,” the police said in a statement.
The Union Home Ministry has ordered temporary suspension of telecom services in border areas of Delhi — Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk, Nangloi — from 12:00 pm to 11:59 pm.
The tractors rally will mark the completion of two months of protest against the Centre’s contentious farm laws by farmers camping at the borders of Delhi. Farmer leaders have also announced a plan to march on foot to Parliament on February 1, the day the Union Budget will be presented.
(Reported by Aranya Shankar, Sofi Ahsan, Sourav Roy Barman, Ashna Butani, Sukrita Baruah, and Sakshi Dayal from Delhi. Raakhi Jagga, Kamaldeep Singh Brar, and Sukhbir Siwach reported from Punjab and Haryana)
Tractors at Ghazipur border for the farmers' Republic Day march, in New Delhi on Saturday. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
Over the last two months, the farmers’ unions had worked strenuously to ensure that their protest against the Centre’s new farm laws remained free of any law-and-order incidents. That their counter to critics who called them names — from Naxals to Khalistanis — was peaceful protests. However, the violence in the national capital on Republic Day, a crowd breaking away to storm Red Fort, has given the Government an opportunity to press its case that the agitation involves not just farmers but hardline elements as well.
It is expected to underline this in what is expected to be a fractious Budget session of Parliament. That its offer of keeping the new laws on hold was rejected by the unions and this was followed by Tuesday’s violence. The Government will also use the fact that farm unions and even the Congress government in Punjab have distanced themselves from and condemned Tuesday’s incidents, especially at Red Fort. READ MORE
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad stated that he is thankful to the farmers for peacefully organising the farmers' march but blamed the central government for using the police to carry out brutality on the protestors. He also stated that instead of spreading propaganda against the farmers, the central government should repeal the three farm laws.
As a tractor parade by farmers protesting against three contentious farm laws turned violent, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said those who were seen as ‘annadata’ (food providers) for so many days have turned out to be extremists.
On Twitter, Patra also shared a video in which a protestor is purportedly seen throwing away a national flag handed to him from the crowd as he climbs a pole to hoist a different flag.
“Those we had been calling annadata (food providers) for so many days have turned out to be extremists. Don’t defame annadata, call an extremist an extremist only,” Patra tweeted as a section of protesting farmers broke the agreement with Delhi Police and indulged in hooliganism.
Another BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, asked if the “mob” should be called “terrorist”. Read more
In the wake of farmers' tractor rally turning violent, the Centre on Tuesday decided to deploy additional paramilitary troops in Delhi to restore peace and maintain law and order, officials said. The decision to deploy additional paramilitary personnel was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava among others.
Shah is also understood to have directed the Delhi Police to identify and take action against those involved the in violence. Additional paramilitary troops will be brought in for deployment in sensitive places in Delhi, a home ministry official said. The exact number of additional troops was not known immediately, but officials suggested that it could be around 1,500 to 2,000 personnel (about 15 to 20 companies).
Around 4,500 paramilitary personnel were already deployed for law and order duties ahead of Republic Day. PTI
The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered four FIRs in connection with the protesting farmers' tractor parade in the national capital, officials said here.
"Three FIRs were registered in east district and one in Shahdara district on Tuesday," a police official said. Earlier in the day, the tractor parade meant to highlight the demands of the farmer unions dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the city as tens of thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. A protester died after his tractor overturned near ITO, one of the major flashpoints of the trouble.
In a statement, the city police said protesting farmers violated the pre-decided conditions agreed upon for their tractor parade. PTI
Farmer union BKU Kadian has termed the Republic Day violence a 'conspiracy by the government to sabotage the farmers' movement'. In a statement, Harmeet Singh Kadian, president of BKU Kadian, said: "Sanyukt Kisan Morcha had decided to start their parade at 11 am today. But that faction of farmers (not part of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha) actually start their protests at 8 am today. And police puts DTC buses and other vehicles in their way- so that the ‘Public Property’ can be damaged conveniently and captured on Camera. Whole media is showing this faction of farmers- which is not part of 40 Farmer Unions, negotiating with Government. And this faction of farmers lead by Deep Sidhu, get access to Red Fort Building !!! On Republic Day !!!!! Shouldnt the Home Minister resign? Can you imagine, this can happen without the involvement of Agencies?"
Kadian added: "Never thought the govt will stoop this low. They are more naïve than I imagined. They are in real big trouble now!!!"
Watch what happened in New Delhi today, as protesting farmers clashed with cops
https://youtu.be/7Pwy7-uzQuM
Deep Sidhu, whose name is featuring among those allegedly responsible for instigating farmers to unfurl the Nishan Sahib flag at Red Fort, has put out a Facebook video, where he has said that "no one person can instigate such a huge crowd", and also that the Nishan Sahib and the farmers' union flag were unfurled at the Red Fort below the Tricolour, "to denote India's unity in diversity".
Watch the video here:
https://www.facebook.com/imdeepsidhu%20/videos/3969875283044243
Amid the heightened tension in and around Delhi due to farmers protests, the Haryana government has suspended internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services, etc. provided on mobile networks except the voice call in the territorial jurisdiction of districts of Sonipat, Palwal and Jhajjar for 24 hours till 5 pm on January 27, 2021.
Haryana Police have also been put on a high alert and a high-level meeting was chaired by the chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, here this evening, to review the law and order situation across the State. After the meeting, DGP Manoj Yadava issued instructions to all the district Superintendents of police to be on high alert in wake of the ongoing tense situation.
Khattar, while chairing a high-level meeting today, has directed all Deputy Commissioners, Commissioners of Police, and Superintendents of Police to remain on ‘high alert’ so as to ensure the law and order situation in the State is not disturbed at any cost.
"In view of the potential law and order situation created on account of tractor parade held on the occasion of Republic Day, there have been incidents of gherao in some locations in New Delhi and there may also possibly be a similar situation in Haryana. Therefore the state government has decided to suspend internet services in order to stop the spread of disinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Twitter, etc on mobile phones and SMS, for facilitation and mobilization of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities”, the spokesperson added.
(reported by Varinder Bhatia)
Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has urged protesting farmers to maintain peace and be patient. He said "discipline and non-violence have been the biggest strengths of this movement and farmers must continue with non-violent protests" and added that he had never seen such a large, peaceful and disciplined movement in his life.
“The incidents that took place in some places during the tractor parade could have been avoided. Any kind of violence or provocation can give the government a chance to point a finger at the movement. Therefore, maintain peace and discipline and do not let the anti-social elements enter the movement,” he said.
Hooda appealed to the farmers to take all precautions and said this movement is an example not only for the country but for the whole world. “The peace, discipline and solidarity with which the farmers have led this movement is commendable,” he said.
The group of protesting farmers from Tikri border gather at Red Fort in Delhi.
Latest Delhi Traffic Updates:
* Traffic movement is now normal from Shastri Park to ISBT, Mukarba Chowk to Singhu Border, Loni Border, Chintamani Chowk, Barapulah and DND.
* Traffic movement is now normal at Peeragarhi Chowk and Punjabi Bagh Chowk.
* Traffic movement is now normal from NH-24 towards Ghaziabad and NH-9 towards Ghaziabad.
* Traffic movement is now normal on Vikas Marg, Delhi Gate and ISBT Anand Vihar towards UP.
Watch: Angry protesters smash police van at Nangloi.
Delhi Police has said over 70 police personnel were injured during today's clashes with protesting farmers at different places in the national capital.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha has called off the Kisan Republic Day Parade with immediate effect, and has appealed to all participants to immediately return back to their respective protest sites. SKM announced the movement will continue peacefully and further steps will be discussed and decided soon.
Internet services suspended in Sonipat, Palwal and Jhajjar areas of Haryana.
DMRC Update: Entry gates of Shastri Nagar and Kanhaiya Nagar are closed. Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Civil Lines, Vidhan Sabha and Uttam Nagar East are open.
DMK president M K Stalin said the Centre's approach on farm laws issue was the reason for violence in Delhi. He demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold talks with protesting farmers.
Haryana: Farmers have started returning from Delhi border.