Protesters at Red Fort on Republic Day 2021 (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna) In the chargesheet on the violence during a tractor rally by farmers on Republic Day, the Delhi Police has said “a deep-rooted well-orchestrated conspiracy” was hatched on the “very auspicious occasion” to hoist the Nishan Sahib and Kisan Flag at Red Fort “in order to cause embarrassment and humiliation at the national and international level to the people of this country”. The tractor rally was part of farmers’ protest against the Centre’s three farm laws.
The Delhi Police chargesheet mentions that protesters had a “pre-conceived and well-coordinated” plan to break the agreement between the police and farmer leaders about the three routes for the tractor rally on Republic Day.
It said protesters wanted “to conquer/get hold of (Red Fort)” and then “make it a new protest site for farmers”.
The chargesheet has been filed against 16 people, including Punjabi actor-activist Deep Sidhu and Iqbal Singh, who was doing a Facebook Live session in which he allegedly instigated protesters.
The chargesheet states the “present episode is a larger conspiracy hatched in the garb of newly enacted Farmers Act.”
“Present episode of violence is the outcome of a deep rooted well-orchestrated conspiracy as the arrested persons along with other known and unknown persons, leaders & instigators (who have not yet been arrested), had deliberately, intentionally and knowingly chosen the very auspicious occasion of the country viz Republic Day 2021, to hoist Nishan Sahib & Kisan Flag, in order to cause embarrassment and humiliation at the national & international level to the people of this country,” the chargesheet reads.
“The very purpose of this conspiracy was hatched/orchestrated in two parts, i.e., firstly visit Red Fort to conquer/get hold of it and secondly to make it a new protest site for farmers protesting against the newly enacted Bill/act,” it added.
According to the police FIR, an estimated 1,000 people, on 30-40 tractors and around 150 motorcycles and cars, had forcibly entered the Red Fort premises, where they chased and assaulted policemen, looted their anti-riot gear, held some hostage inside a public toilet and vandalised the ticket counter.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
