“I have supported the farmers’ protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on #RepublicDay no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort,” Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted.
The saffron flag hoisted by protesters from a pole at Red Fort during tractor parade against the farm laws on Tuesday was the ‘Nishan Sahib’, a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes. The ‘Nishan Sahib’ is a triangular flag that is sacred to Sikhs. The emblem on the flag comprises of ‘Khanda’, a two-edged sword, Chakra, a disc, and two Kirpans that cross each other at the handles. The other flag appeared to be of a farmer union.
A large number of protesters deviated from the designated route for the proposed tractor parade in the national capital and barged into the Red Fort. They were later removed by the police. The government ordered the suspension of internet services in parts of Delhi-NCR as the protests turned violent at several locations. The internet shutdown will be effective till midnight Tuesday in Delhi’s Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk, Nangloi and their adjoining areas. At Central Delhi’s ITO area, where many farmers participating in the parade had reached from the Ghazipur border after taking a detour of the pre-agreed route for the march, a protesting farmer died after his tractor overturned.
Tharoor has condemned the violence and condoled the man’s death.
Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers’ protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on #RepublicDay no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort. https://t.co/C7CjrVeDw7
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 26, 2021
“Saddened to learn of the death of a protestor &agree that violence must be avoided by both protestors &authorities – it resolves nothing& resorting to it reduces the state to the level of its enemies. We must resolve this crisis through democratic means, not force,” he added in another tweet.
Meanwhile, Congress MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi said violence is not the solution to any problem and sought repeal of the three farm laws in “national interest.” Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to say that if anyone gets hurt the damage will be inflicted to the country. He tweeted shortly after violence broke out during the tractor parade by protesters against the new farm laws.
“Violence is not the solution to any problem. If anyone gets hurt, the damage will be done to our country. Take back the anti-agricultural laws in national interest,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
हिंसा किसी समस्या का हल नहीं है। चोट किसी को भी लगे, नुक़सान हमारे देश का ही होगा।
देशहित के लिए कृषि-विरोधी क़ानून वापस लो!
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 26, 2021
Deviating from the designated route for the tractor parade, protesting farmers entered the Red Fort. They earlier clashed with the police at ITO while trying to enter Lutyens Delhi. The police used tear gas shells and lathi-charge to dispel the violent farmers.
The farmers who began their march from different border points, much before the time permitted for their tractor rally, reached ITO in Central Delhi, though their leaders had earlier agreed not to enter central Delhi.
The Congress also tweeted a video showing smoke from tear gas shells lobbed at farmers to stop them from entering Delhi.
“Republic Day 2021 in New India. Our national capital is up in smoke as the government attacks its own people,” the party said on its official Twitter handle along with the video.
The opposition party also said that it is standing strongly behind the farmers in their protest against the farm laws.
Meanwhile, senior farmer Balbir Singh Rajewal said farmers were following the pre-decided route. No one from the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha went to the Outer Ring Road
“We condemn violence against farmers, appeal to all to maintain peace,” Rajewal told PTI.
A member of the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions, leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi, said those who broke the barricades at Tikri border points belonged to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.
He said the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha’s tractor parade will start as scheduled after police give farmers way. The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee on Monday announced that they would hold their march on Delhi’s busy Outer Ring Road on Republic Day,
With PTI Inputs
Read: One protester dead at New Delhi’s ITO during Republic Day farmers’ rally
Farmers’ protests not limited to Delhi: South Indian farmers oppose Union govt claim
Source: TheNewsMinute.com