The Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police said on Tuesday that they would be taking legal action against those who attacked police personnel during the Kisan tractor rally in New Delhi earlier today.
“We will be taking legal actions against those who attacked police personnel during the tractor rally today,” Delhi Police Joint Commissioner Alok Kumar told a leading news agency. Several police personnel and protesters were left injured during the attack. One farmer also lost his life during the violence at ITO in central Delhi.
According to reports, the Harayana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi police had earlier finalized on the routes and timing for the rally with the farmers’ union leaders. However, according to Kumar, the first clash between protesting farmers and police took place at 9.30 am when some protesters tried pushing the barricades placed by the Delhi Police on routes prohibited from entry.
Meanwhile, Samyukta Kisan Morcha has called off the tractor rally with immediate effect and has asked the protesters to return to the protests sites. SKM said, “We have appealed to all participants to return to their respective sites immediately. The protests will continue peacefully and, further steps will be discussed and decided soon.
Meanwhile, several opposition leaders condemned the clash between police and farmers. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh urged the protesters to vacate Delhi and return to the borders where they have been protesting. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was disturbed by the violence and blamed the Centre for its “insensitive attitude towards farmers”. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar also slammed the Centre for not taking the peaceful protest seriously and said the government should have maintained law and order in the national capital.