Farmers Movement Archive

Police were told not to fire at protesters

The Delhi Police were given instructions not to use firearms at agitators as some groups turned violent during the January 26 tractor rally in protest against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre last September. Farmer unions have alleged that “anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement”. “Strict legal action is being taken and no one involved in the violent incidents will be spared,” Police Commissioner S.N. Shrivastava told The Hindu . The police used tear gas and batons, and blocked the roads with public buses, containers and concrete barriers, which were breached by agitators. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who held a second review meeting on Wednesday, was briefed in detail by Mr. Shrivastava on the law and order situation in the national capital a day after the violence. “The police cannot be revengeful and there were instructions not to use firearms. The brief was not to further flare up the matter. The police personnel followed the instructions diligently. It took perseverance and patience to control the situation,” a senior government official said. Though there were intelligence inputs about violence during the tractor rally, permission was still given to “pacify” the farmers who have been sitting at Delhi’s borders since November 26, the official said. Asked why the intelligence inputs were not taken seriously, he said, “The police is a part of the government. It cannot unilaterally decide if permission is to be given or not. We have to find a solution. A warning from intelligence was there, but the farmer unions were also apprised of the security aspects.” Security in the national capital was on heightened alert for the Republic Day parade, and more than 5,000 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel were deployed in addition to the police. Farmer leaders Darshan Pal, Rajinder Singh, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Buta Singh Nurjgil, Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Rakesh Tikait — who held meetings with the police to agree on the tractor routes — were named in the first information reports (FIRs) filed on Wednesday. Deviation from route Protesters deviated from the route sanctioned by the police for rallies at three locations on the outskirts of Delhi and stormed into central Delhi, thereby damaging property and hoisting religious flags at the Red Fort. Several policemen were injured. Actor Deep Sidhu, a former election agent of BJP parliamentarian Sunny Deol in Punjab’s Gurdaspur who was seen leading the violent protesters at the Red Fort on Tuesday, was initially not named in any FIR. However, his name was added in an FIR registered at Kotwali police station later in the day. “We have not reached any conclusion, the investigation will reveal the conspiracy and other aspects of the case. This is the primary stage of the investigation,” an official said.

The Hindu

2021-01-28

New Delhi