Delhi CP asks farmers to return to protest sites; affirms 'Police acted with restraint'

As protesting farmers continue to throng the Red Fort, Delhi Commissioner SN Shrivastava on Tuesday, appealed to the farmers to return to their protest sites via designated routes. He added that while routes were fixed, several drove tractors off the routes and before the fixed time, leading to vandalism. Shrivastava said that public properties were damaged and many police personnel were injured, appealing protesting farmers not to indulge in violence, maintain peace and return through the designated routes. Over a dozen paramilitary forces have been called in to assist the police at Red fort.

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Delhi police also issued a statement:

For today's tractor rally, the Delhi Police worked with the farmers as per the conditions and made necessary arrangements. The Delhi Police showed considerable restraint till the end, but the protesting farmers defied the conditions and started their march well ahead of schedule and they chose the path of violence and sabotage. In view of this, the Delhi Police took necessary steps with restraint to maintain law and order. This movement has caused great damage to public property and many police personnel have also been injured. There is an appeal to the agitators to leave the path of violence and make peace and return to the path they had set.

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The protesting farmers on January 26 entered the national capital from three routes emanating from the Singhu border, the Tikri border and the Ghazipur border, as Delhi Police gave their nod for a peaceful protest. However, despite Sanyukt Kisan Morcha's assurance and Delhi Police's conditions for the tractor march, violence broke out as the farmers entered Delhi. The protesting farmers with their tractors broke the barricades and cemented barriers at Delhi’s Mukarba Chowk, prompting Delhi Police to use tear gas shell against them.

The situation quickly devolved to a point where the police were outnumbered, even as the farmers overran Delhi and a number of its monuments, capped off by the visuals of farmers breaching Red Fort's ramparts and planting their flag atop its podium. One of the protesting farmers breached the Red Fort and unfurled a saffron flag and a yellow flag bearing the holy Sikh symbol atop the dome of the Fort. One protestor died after a tractor upturned, while 2 police personnel have been injured.

The Delhi Police had allowed the tractor rally to take place from noon to 5 PM, however, when the protesters forcefully tried to enter the capital, Delhi Police attempted to persuade the farmers to begin the rally as per plan - after the conclusion of the Republic Day parade, which led to clashes. Farmers were seen riding bikes brandishing swords, sticks and vandalised a bus, drove tractors at full speed towards the police personnel who were blocking them. Most parties have condemned the violence but questioned the Centre on the failure of Law and order in Delhi.

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