CM Channi extends support to perpetrators of R-Day violence; announces 2 lakh compensation

Rewarding the people booked for unfurling violence on the streets of Delhi on Republic Day while carrying out a tractor rally in support of farmers’ protest, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday announced a ‘Rs 2 lakh compensation' for the perpetrators apprehended by the Delhi Police.

Charanjit Singh Channi took to his official Twitter account on Friday to make the announcement, calling it the Congress government’s extension of support to the farmers demonstrating on the borders of the national capital against the three contentious farm laws.

CM Channi extends support to perpetrators of R-Day violence; announces 2 lakh compensation

Taking to Twitter, CM Charanjit Singh Channi, who has been surrounded with controversies ever since his induction, wrote, “Reiterating My Govt’s stand to support the ongoing #FarmersProtest against three black farm laws, We have decided to give Rs 2 lakh compensation to 83 people arrested by Delhi Police for carrying out a tractor rally in the national capital on 26th January 2021.”

Since the outbreak of the protests, the Punjab government had always backed the demonstrating farmers and had requested the Union government several folds to repeal the laws. The move comes out at a time when the assembly elections in Punjab are overhead and the Congress government continues to deal with unabated internal disputes. The announcement is also being seen as an attempt to woo Punjab's farmers, the majority of which is participating in the farmers’ protest. The farmers' protests that commenced on the Delhi borders in 2020 will soon be completing a year.

Republic Day Violence 

The group of farmers that have been sitting on the borders of Delhi since November last year, demanding the central government to revoke the three farm laws passed in the parliament in 2020, had conducted a farmers’ tractor parade on Republic Day, Jan 26, at the national capital. The permission to conduct a procession was granted by the Delhi Police after the court’s intervention, however, some guidelines and designated routes were given by the Delhi police to the farmer leaders for carrying out a peaceful procession.

Despite tight security and cover by the Delhi Police to maintain law and order during the rally, violence ensued on the roads of the national capital as some protestors flouted Delhi Police’s norms. One part of the protesting group also invaded Red Fort to unfurl the farmers’ flag-- the Kisan Union Flag & Khalsa Flag, in place of the national flag on the dome.
 

After the flag hoisting, Delhi Police conducted a thorough investigation and made several arrests. In the tractor rally violence incidents, over 300 police personnel were injured. Delhi police had arrested around 150people and registered 48 cases in connection to the R-Day violence

Image: PTI