Picture : Twitter / ANI
Not keeping with their promise of of peaceful protests, groups of protesting farmers camping at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points of the national capital broke police barricades on Tuesday morning to force their way into the city, much ahead of the time they were granted permission by Delhi Police for their tractor parade.
Tractors bearing flags could be seen, along with men and women dancing on dhols, and locals on both sides of the road showering petals on cavalcades, as security personnel tried to convince farmers to stick to the decided plan of holding the tractor parade after the conclusion of the Republic Day parade at the Rajpath.
Cops have used tear gas and lathi charged after groups of protesting farmers camping at Singhu and Tikri border points of the national capital broke police barricades today to force their way into the city.
Police used tear gas shells to disperse the protesting farmers at ITO in central Delhi. The protesting farmers reached ITO, broke police barricades placed opposite Delhi Police headquarters and vandalised DTC buses as well.
According to officials, security personnel tried to convince the farmers that they have been given permission to hold their tractor parade in Delhi after the Republic Day parade at the Rajpath concludes.
“But some groups of farmers did not relent and started moving towards the Outer Ring Road breaking police barricades,” an official said.
Delhi: Farmers tractor rally reaches near ITO, Sarai Kale Khan from Ghazipur border pic.twitter.com/rsMjermEW8
— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021
Farmers also marched on foot in large numbers holding flags of different farmer unions and raising slogans. Some were seen riding motorcycles and horses. People also perched atop their tractors and raised slogans and sang revolutionary songs.
A senior police officer who was at the spot said that a group of farmers entered the national capital after breaking the barricades.
“As per agreement, they were supposed to start their parade at the time specified but they forcefully entered Delhi and are currently peacefully sitting at Mukarba Chowk. They are supposed to head towards Bawana side as per the route but they are adamant that they want to go towards Outer Ring Road.
“The situation is peaceful and we are trying to convince them to go towards the designated route at the specified time, he said.
However speaking to ANI ,Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) when asked about incidents of violence at some locations, during the tractor rally said ” Rally is going on peacefully. I don’t have any knowledge of it. We are at Ghazipur and are releasing the traffic here”.
