Punjab, Haryana on High Alert After Tractor Rally In Delhi Turns Violent | Key Points Here

The Punjab and Haryana governments sounded high alert in light of the violence that erupted in Delhi during the farmers' tractor rally.

The Punjab and Haryana governments sounded high alert in light of the violence that erupted in Delhi during the farmers’ tractor rally. Protesting farmers and police personnel clashed at ITO in the national capital when the former forced their way towards Lutyen’s Delhi and damaged police buses with their tractors, prompting the force to use lathicharge and tear gas shells against them. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has further ordered the deployment of additional troops in parts of the national capital to contain the unrest

Media advisor to Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Raveen Thukral said in a tweet on Tuesday, “CM @capt_amarinder orders high alert in Punjab amid Delhi violence during #KisanTractorRally, asks @DGPPunjabPolice to ensure law & order is maintained at all costs.”

In Haryana, the DGP instructed all superintendents and senior superintendents of police to remain on alert. “Additional force has also been deployed in sensitive areas. Not only this, the intelligence wing of the police is also monitoring the entire situation,” DGP Manoj Yadava said

The Haryana Police will not take any kind of risk anymore and anyone found causing damage to public property will be arrested and prosecuted, the DGP added.

“Under the guise of the present situation, some anti-social elements with an intention to grind their own axe, can also try to disturb peace through rumors. Police are also keeping a close eye on social media,” a statement from the Haryana Police said.

Mobile Internet services have also been suspended in Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal districts of Haryana. Issuing the order, Haryana Chief Secretary Rajiv Arora said only voice calls will function in these districts neighbouring Delhi during the suspension of telecom services that will remain in effect till 5 pm Wednesday.

In national capital today, chaotic scenes were witnessed at ITO, where the protesters could be seen chasing police personnel with sticks and ramming their tractors into the buses parked by police.

The farmers who began their march from different border points, much before the time permitted to them for their tractor rally, had reached ITO in Central Delhi despite the force denying them permission for it.

Police used teargas shells to disperse the crowd and appealed them to stick to the designated route for the rally and not take law in their hands. The protesters could be seen riding tractors and trying to drive through the crowd and run over police personnel.

The Delhi Police had given permission to farmers protesting the three farm laws to hold their tractor parade on selected routes only after the official Republic Day parade on the Rajpath concludes.

However, chaos ensued as the farmers were adamant about heading towards central Delhi.