Eight buses and 17 private vehicles were vandalized, police said.
Highlight
- Eight buses and 17 private vehicles were vandalized
- Protesters filled Delhi’s borders long before the designated time
- When they were detained by the police, violence broke out
New Delhi:
Delhi police have raised 15 cases relating to violence during the Republic Day tractor demonstration by farmers protesting the three controversial agricultural laws passed in September.
Eight buses and 17 private vehicles were vandalized, police said.
Delhi police also said 86 policemen were injured in the violence, which took place mainly in Mukarba Chowk, Gazipur, ITO, Seemapuri, Nangloi T-Point, Tikri Border and the Red Fort and its surroundings. Barriers were broken on the borders of Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu.
Sayunkt Kisan Morcha, police said, had held several rounds of meetings with the Delhi Police and pledged to hold a peaceful demonstration according to proposed plans.
But the violence started after they started their demonstration around 8 a.m., well before the designated time, and deviated from agreed routes.
By around 8:30 am, 6,000 to 7,000 tractors had gathered at the Singhu borders and instead of the agreed route, they insisted on going to central Delhi, police said.
“Despite persuasion from the Delhi police, the farmers led by Nihangs on their horses fully equipped with deadly weapons such as swords, kripans and fursas charged the police and broke through the various layers of barricades, which were erected between Mukarba Chowk and Transport Nagar, “said a policeman. statement read.
The statement also said at ITO, where the police headquarters are located, a large group of farmers who came from the Gazipur and Singhu borders tried to move into the New Delhi district.
When they were detained by the police, violence broke out.
The peasants became “violent and broke barricades, damaged iron bars and bulkheads and even tried to run over the police, who were deployed at these barricades.” The situation was controlled after the arrival of the reinforcements.
The farmers then decided to move to the iconic Red Fort, police said.
They entered the esplanade of the fort, climbed its walls and hoisted a religious flag on a pole outside. An attempt was also made to raise flags over the domes of the fort.
The police, wielding batons, managed to remove them from inside the fort.
In the evening, the group of farmers canceled the rally of tractors. Police said they are closely monitoring the situation.
Police said they are also registering cases of violation of legal instructions, riots, damage to public property and assault on public servants with deadly weapons.
The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha said that anti-social elements had “infiltrated the peaceful movement.”
“The long fighting of more than 6 months and more than 60 days of protests on the Delhi borders also appear to have led to this situation,” the farmers group added.
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