Barricades Knocked Down, Tear Gas Shells Fired: How Farmers’ Tractor Rally Unfolded So Far | 10 Points

Police used tear gas on groups of farmers and resorted to baton charge as protestors broke past barricades with tractors at different border points, including Singhu and Tikri with Haryana and Ghazipur border with Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi: Violence took over in the national capital as farmers breached barricades and entered through Delhi borders to hold their tractor parade on Republic Day. Protesters clashed with police personnel at isolated parts of the capital city as they deviated from the pre-decided routes for their tractor march. Police used tear gas on groups of farmers and resorted to baton charge as protestors broke past barricades with tractors at different border points, including Singhu and Tikri with Haryana and Ghazipur border with Uttar Pradesh.

Here are the developments so far:

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

2. However, chaos ensued as the farmers were adamant of heading towards central Delhi. In the morning, groups of protesting farmers camping at Singhu and Tikri border points of the national capital broke barricades and entered the capital city.

3. Standing atop vehicles decked up with flags, the protesters danced to the tune of patriotic songs such as ‘Aisa desh hai mera‘ and ‘Sare jahan se achcha‘.

4. A scuffle broke out at border points, forcing cops to fire tear gas shells and resorting to lathi-charge at the protesting farmers.

5. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation took to Twitter informing the public about the temporary closure of metro station gates. Entry and exit gates of more than 10 metro stations in central and north Delhi were temporarily shut due to the protest.

6. Dramatic scenes were witnessed at ITO, resembling a war zone where hundreds of protesters were seen chasing police personnel with sticks and swords and ramming their tractors into the buses parked by police. Earlier in the day, a DTC bus was vandalised in the area by angry protesters.

7. Farmers then marched to Red Fort and waved flags from the ramparts. A protester was also seen climbing the mast of the 17th-century monument and instilled a flag he was carrying in place of the Tricolour.

8. A farmer died in the protest after his tractor overturned in Central Delhi’s DDU Marg. Police personnel have also been injured in the violent turn of events.

9. Notably, the tractor rally that coincided with the 72nd Republic Day took place on completion of two months of the ongoing farmers’ protest in and around the national capital against the Centre’s contentious farm laws.

10. The national capital had turned into a fortress overnight with a heavy security cover and deployment of thousands of police personnel in and around central Delhi.