Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait turns blind eye; says 'rally peaceful' as violence grips Delhi

Even as violence broke out in the tractor march held by farmers in the national capital, farm union leader Rakesh Tikait has denied reports of violence and claimed that march is peaceful. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, while speaking to news agency ANI, said that the tractor march is peaceful, even as farmers broke barricades and vandalised buses at ITO in New Delhi. He said that the Centre should repeal the farm laws and farmers will continue to protest. As the farmers' entered New Delhi during their tractor march on January 26, tear gas shells were fired at near the Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, and the farmers' were seen heckling the police personnel near ITO. Visuals also show that farmers are carrying sticks, despite the Delhi Police circular stating it clearly that they are not allowed to carry any weapon. 

READ | Open violence breaks out at farmers' tractor rally; promise of peaceful protest shattered

"Rally is going on peacefully. I don't have any knowledge of it. We are at Ghazipur and are releasing the traffic here," Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) said. 

READ | Delhi Police allows only 5000 tractors for farmers' R-Day rally; Read all conditions here

Farmers' Republic Day parade

After 11 rounds of Centre-farmer talks, the two parties failed to reach a middle ground. The farmers' union have refused Centre's proposal for suspending the implementation of the aforesaid legislation for one and a half years and said that they want repeal of the laws. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar categorically said that the Union government is ready for another meeting only if the farmers want to discuss this proposal. Meanwhile, the Delhi police gave permission to the farmers to hold their Republic Day tractor rallies beginning from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders - proceed towards Haryana or Uttar Pradesh before returning back to the starting points covering 62 km, 60 km and 46 km respectively. 

Darshan Pal, Rajinder Singh, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Buta Singh Burjgil, and Joginder Singh Ugraha were asked by Delhi Police to coordinate with the police during the rally. The unions have instructed that the parade should be carried out peacefully, no display of political flags, no loudspeakers without permission, no trolleys, animals, carts, no weapons or firearms. Moreover, the Delhi Police mandated that a maximum of 5000 persons with 5000 tractors can participate in the rally on Republic Day from noon to 5 pm. Protests have continued for 62 days till date.

READ | FM Sitharaman leads symbolic pre-Budget 'Halwa ceremony' as 2021 Budget goes paperless

READ | Farmers Plan To March To The Parliament On Feb 1, Day When FM Will Present Budget 2021