Farmers Organisations, Police Ask People To Maintain Peace As Chaos Grips Delhi
Outnumbered by the sheer number of farmers riding tractors who have stormed the capital, the Delhi Police appealed to them to maintain peace.
"We request the farmers not to take law in their hands and maintain peace," said a senior police officer.
Hundreds of farmers on tractors reached ITO, which is over 2 kms from India Gate, after breaking police barricades at multiple spots. The farmers tried to make their way towards the India Gate and Rajpath in defiance of the set guidelines and agreement with the Delhi Police.
Right from the start a section of the farmers had broken off from the main rally and entered routes that were not part of the once agreed with the police for the march.
The police who were largely outnumbered tried to stop the marches, but they could only hold them back for a limited time with tear gas and barricades.
Since breaching the agreed routes, the farmers in their thousands had stormed key spots of Delhi including ITO, Red Fort, and India Gate.
Farmers leader Rakesh Tikait distanced himself and his organization from the violence by the farmers and said that it was carried out by members of political outfits.
Ever since the protests got out of control, many of the known faces of the farmers' protest have been largely missing in action.?
Asserting that his heart was with the farmers protesting against the central laws on the Republic Day, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday appealed to the farmers to ensure that their 'tractor rally' event remains peaceful.
As per the statement, Singh said that the Centre Centre had deliberately kept Punjab out of the high-powered committee, knowing that the voices of protest would rise from the state. The Chief Minister declared that farmers' voices will continue to rise till their interests are secured. Punjab was included in the high-powered committee only after he wrote to the Centre on the issue, neither he nor his government were ever asked or consulted about the new farm laws, the state government said.
