Similar tensions were witnessed in other parts of the national capital too.
Police lathicharged farmers at Chintamani Chowk in Shahdara when they broke barricades and smashed windowpanes of cars. A group of ‘Nihangs’ (traditional Sikh warriors) clashed with security personnel near Akshardham Temple.
A Nihang protester brandishing a sword at a policeman.
At Nangloi Chowk in West Delhi and at Mukarba Chowk, farmers broke cemented barricades and police used tear gas to disperse them.
5) The situation worsened further as a section of protesters reached the Red Fort on their tractors and on foot, and stormed into its ramparts. Visuals from the spot showed uniformed security personnel looking on as people gathered in large numbers.
The protesters climbed on to the ramparts of the Red Fort and waved their flags. One of them climbed the flagpost where the Tricolour is hoisted by the Prime Minister of India on Independence Day and hoisted a religious flag there. Later, the police resorted to mild lathicharge and removed the people from the red Fort premises.
Here are the top 10 updates from the farmers’ protest: 1) January 26, 2021 was a Republic Day like no other, at least in recent memory. The national capital, that generally turns into a secured fortress for the occasion, appeared defenceless as hundreds of protesters barged through police barricades, resulting in violent confrontation with the cops.
2) Farmers atop tractors, on motorcycles and some on horses, broke police barricades to enter Delhi at least two hours before they were supposed to start their tractor march.
As per news agency PTI, the march was supposed to start at noon once the Republic Day Parade on the Rajpath had ended.
“The protesters violated conditions fixed for the rally. The farmers began tractor rally before scheduled time, they also resorted to violence and vandalism,” Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal said.
3) The protesters broke through steel and concrete barriers leading to pitched battles with cops in several areas of the national capital. At some places, the crowds were seen chasing cops with sticks after they fired teargas shells to disperse them.
Police resort to lathicharge and use teargas to disperse protesting farmers who were attempting to break barricades at Ghazipur border during their tractor march on Republic Day in New Delhi.
4) ITO in Central Delhi resembled a war zone with a car being vandalised by angry protesters and shells, bricks and stones littering the wide streets.
