Days after a violent mob of anti-farm law protestors desecrated the Indian flag at the Red Fort, a scuffle broke out between the farmers and the locals at the Singhu border. It is notable here that the so-called farmer protestors have been camping on the major highway entrances on the outskirts of Delhi for weeks. After running riots in the capital on Republic Day, they had gone back to those campsites at various Delhi border entry points.
In a video shared by news agency ANI, locals were seen raising slogans, asking the ‘farmer’ protestors to vacate the area. “Singhu border khali karo,” the locals yelled in unison. With tricolors in their hand, the locals demanded the protestors leave the site and shift somewhere else.
#WATCH | Delhi: Group of people claiming to be locals gather at Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) demanding that the area be vacated. pic.twitter.com/AHGBc2AuXO
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2021
In another video, the angry locals were seen approaching the stage of the Mazdur Kisan Sangarsh committee. The police officials were seen charging at the locals and pushing them away from the anti-farm law protestors. “Ye antankwadi hain (They are terrorists)“, yelled a local.
Meanwhile, the ‘farmers’ began pelting stones at the locals and the police. As locals and protestors clashed, the police intervened and urged both sides to stop. During the scuffle, a police officer was badly injured. “We are requesting them from the past 4 days to leave the area,” said another local. The police finally resorted to firing tear gas shells to pacify the heated situation and maintain law and order.
#Live visuals from Singhu border. | Confrontation breaks out. Locals being asked to move by the police.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) January 29, 2021
Stone pelting begins. Tear gas shells fired by the police.
Ground report by Prashant. pic.twitter.com/Iyar3wIUVa
During the scuffle, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Alipur police station was attacked and injured by a ‘protestor’ with a sword. Reports stated that the police officer was injured in the sword attack. The injured officer is reportedly SHO Pradeep Paliwal from Alipur station.
सिंघू बॉर्डर: SHO अलीपुर प्रदीप पालीवाल पर हमले की तस्वीर, नंगी तलवार से उनका कर हाथ काट दिया, प्रदीप पालिवाल बुरी तरह घायल हैं #FarmersProstests pic.twitter.com/Z6yNm1tMsQ
— Vikas Bhadauria (ABP News) (@vikasbha) January 29, 2021
The Background of the incident
The ‘farmer’ protestors had been camping at the Singhu border since November last year to protest against the historic farm laws, enacted by the Union government. While speaking to India Today, a local informed that the decision to remove them from the Singhu border was taken after they desecrated the Indian tricolour at the Red Fort.
Another local also informed that his business has suffered badly due to the ongoing anti-farm law protests. However, following the violence and vandalism on the occasion of Republic Day, the enraged locals asked the protestors to vacate the area immediately. When they refused to budge, the locals took it upon themselves to confront the said protestors.
Unhappy with the protestors disrespecting the national flag and brutal vandalization of Red Fort, a national monument on Republic Day, earlier the villagers in Rewari in Haryana had issued an ultimatum to the protestors to vacate the highways and leave the area. According to reports, the decision was taken in a Panchayat meeting held at Dungarwas village comprising villagers from 15 villages in Rewari region. Villagers from Masani, Titarpur, Niganiawas, khadkhada, Jeetpura etc villages attended the meeting.
It was reported that local villagers and residents in the areas on the outskirts of Delhi have been facing inconveniences, traffic woes and loss of business due to the so-called ‘farmer protests’. However, the rampant and wanton violence done by the protestors on Republic Day seems to have tipped the scales.
Tractor rally mastermind Rakesh Tikait calls for violence
In the video that has gone viral now, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait can be seen asking his supporters and other protestors to be armed with Lathis ahead of the Republic Day tractor rally in Delhi. Asking the alleged farmers to carry Lathis and ‘Danda’, Rakesh Tikait can also be seen misleading the alleged farmers by saying that their lands would be snatched. “The government is not agreeing to our terms, and they will come to take your lands,” says Rakesh Tikait as he asks the farmers to carry tricolour along with the flag of their choice.
Rakesh Tikait is one of the masterminds of the tractor rally, who fomented trouble in the national capital by instigating the so-called protestors to unleash violence on Delhi’s streets, which unfortunately ended with the shocking act of desecration of tricolor at the Red Fort.