Tractor parade becomes violent; farmers enter Red Fort, hoist flag
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 26
The farmers tractor parade went out of control on Tuesday as unruly protesters broke barricades across borders and inside Delhi to march into the capital’s arterial roads from all sides and park at Red Fort.
At least two agitators hoisted their own flags after climbing the flagstaff at the Red Fort where thousands of protesters stormed, creating a major law and order issue.
The Home Ministry officials said they were closely watching the situation and talking to farmers to get them to move back and out of the city.
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In photos, watch police use teargas on farmers as they try to break barricades
Locals perch on rooftops, balconies to witness unprecedented farmers’ tractor parade
Women in Haryanvi attire dance to folk songs; youths with flags add colour to tractor parade
Delhi Metro ordered 20 stations closed as the situation went out of hand.
Earlier, the farmers broke into Delhi defying all rules and agreements with the police and stationed in thousands at the Red Fort, with no clarity on what they intend to do.
At the Red Fort some agitators performed martial arts Gatka.
Before reaching the Red Fort, the protesters ran riot on Delhi roads, broke concrete barricades, damaged buses, flashed swords and even attempted to ram into resisting police personnel.
Although the Samyukta Kisan Morcha washed hands off the ugly protests on the 72nd Republic Day and said they are part of the group that defied the police routes, the overall consequences were more than deleterious for the farmers agitation which has so far been peaceful.
The group of protesters that entered through the Ghazipur border clashed with the police at ITO after breaking the Noida Link Road barricade.
At ITO the police lobbed tear gas shells at the farmers who were armed with steel rods, sticks and swords. The farmers however refused to budge with many attempting to ram their tractors into police personnel almost stopping short of running them over.
Some of the farmers when asked where they would go said they were headed to the Red Fort.
The violent protesters kept saying they would conquer Delhi and that Delhi belonged to them.
Many of them mentioned Rakesh Tikait was their leader.
As the volatile protests left a trail of destruction in their wake, the focus shifted to Red Fort which they stormed to make their point against the farm legislations.
Delhi Police were seen maintaining restraint and said they were talking to the protesters asking them to go back out of Delhi.
The farmers climbed the Red Fort and its historic structures flashing victory signs, as the government maintained a close watch on the situation dominated by unstoppable farmers.
Even as the movement towards Red Fort began, more and more farmers entered Delhi and the crowds continued to swell.
Protesting farmer dies as his tractor overturns
An unidentified protesting farmer lost his life, as his tractor turned upside down on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg near ITO, amid police action of lathicharge and teargas.
The deceased has not been identified yet.
