Republic Day violence- What lies ahead for the Farmers protest
Troubles started erupting when hundreds of Protestors taking part in the rally broke away from the planned route, broke down barriers, clashed with the Police, and stormed the Red Fort.
For the past two months, the Farmers have been protesting at the Delhi Borders against the newly enacted Farm Laws. On the eve of Republic Day, the Farmers organized a tractor rally to garner support for their movement and to make their demand strong that the newly enacted farm laws should be repealed.
The Delhi Police had been resisting the attempts to organize the rally but then the way forward was clear when the Supreme Court refused to stay the tractor rally. After many negotiations, the Delhi Police agreed to let the rally happen and a consensus was made on the route to be followed by the farmers for their tractor rally.
Troubles started erupting when hundreds of Protestors taking part in the rally broke away from the planned route, broke down barriers, clashed with the Police, and stormed the Red Fort.
Delhi Police issued notices to at least 20 farmer leaders including Yogendra Yadav, Baldev Singh Sirsa, Balbir S Rajewal for breaching the agreement with police regarding the tractor rally. They have been asked to reply within 3 days: Delhi Police
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021
They started at 8 am from the Singhu Border otherwise they were to start around 12. They began traveling on foot as well as on the tractors. The Police had barricaded the Ring Road as they didn’t want them to take that route and wanted them to proceed through the designated routes only. There was nothing problematic in the first place and at some places, we could see the rally receiving a warm welcome and people showering the tractors with flowers.
Things took an unexpected turn when the protestors tried to break down the barricades and took a shift from the pre-planned routes. The Delhi Police on Wednesday detained around 200 protestors on charges of rioting, damaging public property, and attacking its personnel, during a tractor rally organized by farmers on Republic Day, reported The Indian Express. Twenty-two first information reports were lodged in connection with the violence, the police said. The names of Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and gangster Lakka Sadana was also included in the FIR as they are accused of inciting the protestors.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited two hospitals in Delhi where the treatment of injured Police personnel is going on and the Delhi Police has asked the Kisan Union leaders to explain that why shouldn’t legal action be taken against them.
