Farmers’ Tractor Rally: More than 20 tractors entered the iconic Red Fort this afternoon, hours after the farmers’ parade began
New Delhi: Thousands of farmers clashed with the police in the heart of Delhi on Republic Day as they took out a huge tractor rally against the government’s new agricultural laws after knocking down barricades at the city’s borders this morning. The disarray was caused after the protesters – allowed to hold the “Kisaan Parade” between 12 and 5 PM – began the march much before time and deviated from the agreed routes. This led to a dramatic standoff with the protesters being tear-gassed and lathi-charged. Some policemen were also injured in the clashes.
Here are 10 developments in this big story:
- As the country celebrated its 72nd Republic Day, farmers had been given permission to take out their tractor rally in Delhi after the annual parade at Rajpath, a ceremonial road in the heart of the city. Crowds, however, swelled at the borders at around 8 AM even before the parade started and thousands entered the national capital on foot. In central Delhi’s ITO, a police bus was hijacked.
- More than 20 tractors entered the iconic Red Fort this afternoon, hours after the farmers’ parade began. Protesters were seen shouting slogans at the Red Fort as they drove tractors with national flags.
- Dramatic visuals showed farmers breaching barriers at the Singhu border near Haryana, the epicentre of protests against the farm laws that began late November. More than 5,000 protesters had gathered at various points outside the Delhi border.
- Another clip from Akshardham showed policemen on an overbridge firing tear gas shells on the protesters standing on the road looking for a cover. Protesters were also seen vandalising a bus even as the leaders repeatedly insisted the protests will be “peaceful”.
- The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today closed the entry and exit gates at several metro stations as thousands of protesting farmers entered the national capital as they took out a tractor rally against the new farm laws.
- Delhi Police has been repeatedly appealing to the protesters to maintain calm.
- Three routes were cleared for the farmers to hold the parade – 63-km route near Singhu Border, 62.5 km-long route from Tikri border, a 68-km long route from Ghazipur border that divides Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. However, they reached central Delhi’s ITO, 20 km from the planned route.
- Earlier, the centre had opposed the tractor rally on Republic Day in an affidavit in the Supreme Court, stressing it will be “an embarrassment to the nation”.
- Eleven rounds of talks have been held between the farmers and the government but there been no breakthrough.
- The farmers have turned down the centre’s last offer to put the laws on hold for 18 months while a special committee conducts negotiations.
(Courtesy: NDTV, Only Headline Changed)
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