Police also used tear gas on groups of farmers as they tried to break barricades, cemented barriers with tractors at Delhi’s Mukarba Chowk.
In an unprecedented development, clashes erupted between protesting farmers and Delhi police at different junctures in the national capital.
Deviating from pre-designated routes for the parade, a group of protesting farmers reached Red Fort on tractors. A protestor hoisted a flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
#WATCH A protestor hoists a flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi#FarmLaws #RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/Mn6oeGLrxJ
— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021
Meanwhile, Delhi Police appealed to farmers to not take law in their hands, maintain peace.
Clashes were reported from the ITO area of Delhi, where farmers and police tried overpowering each other, with police using lathi charge to control the crowd. A DTC bus was reportedly vandalised by protesting farmers at ITO in central Delhi.
Protesters broke barricade, attacked police personnel and vandalised police vehicle at ITO in central Delhi, according to news agency ANI.
#WATCH Protesters break barricade, attack police personnel and vandalise police vehicle at ITO in central Delhi pic.twitter.com/1ARRUX6I8E
— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021
Violence continued at ITO in central Delhi, with tractors being driven by protestors allegedly trying to run over police personnel.
In another video, a Delhi Police personnel was rescued by protesters as one section of protesters attempted to assault him at ITO in central Delhi.
Delhi Police resorted to lathi charge at Chintamani Chowk in Shahdara near Ghazipur border, with farmers riding tractors pushed through barricades.
Police also used tear gas on groups of farmers as they tried to break barricades, cemented barriers with tractors at Delhi’s Mukarba Chowk.
Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines were closed by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
Indraprastha, ITO and Delhi Gate metro stations were also closed by DMRC.
Injuries were reported among farmers as well as police after the violence erupted.
Police officials sat on road in Nangloi to block the area where farmers holding tractor parade had reached.
Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) when asked about incidents of violence at some locations by news agency ANI, said: “Rally is going on peacefully. I don’t have any knowledge of it. We are at Ghazipur and are releasing the traffic here.”
Reportedly, some section of protesting farmers unions had a disagreement over the route agreed upon with police. These section of farmers chose to divert from the path and entered the national capital, after which the clases were reported.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
