NEW DELHI: Protests against the Central agri laws intensified in the national capital on Tuesday as groups of farmers were seen indulging in vandalism of public property and targeting police personnel deployed for Republic Day security.
Reports of farmers breaking barricades to enter Delhi and indulging in vandalism poured from several parts of the city. Protesting farmers have now reached ITO after breaking police barricades placed opposite old Delhi Police headquarters and were seen attacking police personnel and vandalising vehicles. Protesting farmers also vandalised a Delhi Transport Corporation bus near ITO. A Delhi Police personnel was rescued by protesters as one section of farmers attempted to assault him at ITO in central Delhi. Police used tear gas shells to disperse the protesting farmers at ITO in central Delhi. As the protests have intensified, the gates of several metro stations have been closed. “Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed,” DMRC tweeted. Entry/exit gates of all stations on the green line, Lal Quila, Indraprastha and ITO metro stations have been closed. Meanwhile, farmer leader and Spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Rakesh Tikait denied any reports of violence by farmers. “Rally is going on peacefully. I don’t have any knowledge of it (violence). We are at Ghazipur and are releasing the traffic here,” he said.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
