Tractor Rally: Protester Dead After Tractor Overturns At ITO Area In Delhi; Farmers Enter Red Fort

A protester who was part of the tractor rally, has died after his tractor overturned at Delhi's DDU Marg on Tuesday, January 26. The protesters have alleged that police fired at him following which the tractor he was driving turned turtle which led to his death.

The incident took place at the DDU Marg near ITO in Central Delhi.

The rally took a violent turn after the protesters broke the police barricades at border areas and clashed with the police at the Ghazipur border Delhi. The police resorted to lathicharge and fired tear gas shells to dispel the crowd.

Several police officers have been injured during the clash, reported India Today. Reportedly some police personnel were also thrashed by the protesters in the ITO area of the national capital.

The protesters arrived at the Red Fort on Tuesday afternoon and were seen hoisting a flag on top of a dome.

According to media reports, protesters started chasing police, breaking chairs and lights at the Red Fort premises. A cop was also injured during the clashes and was rushed out.

The Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee has appealed farmers for peace and requested Nihang Singhs who entered at Red Fort to come back to Kundli border.

Two police vehicles were damaged at Singhu and a DTC bus at ITO Delhi, while the team tried to stop the farmers from deviating from the route allowed for the rally.

Spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union Rakesh Tikait told the media that the tractor parade was meant to be conducted peacefully in the national capital, however, the chaos happened due to confusion over routes.

Speaking on allegations that protests are out of farmer leaders' control, Tikait said, "We know the people who are trying to create a disturbance, they are identified." He alleged that those people are from the political parties, trying to malign the image of the farmers and the protest.

Joint Commissioner of Police, Nangloi, Shalini Singh, appealed to the farmer unions to help maintain peace. "Since morning we had been appealing to farmers to go by pre-approved route but some of them broke police barricades, attacked police personnel. Appeal to farmer unions to help maintain peace. This isn't a peaceful protest on Republic Day."

Swaraj India President and Farm Union leader Yogendra Yadav also urged the protesters not to pay attention to the rumours and return to the designated routes. "I appeal on behalf of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha to all farmers not to pay attention to the rumours and return to the designated routes. Please don't do anything that tarnishes the farmers' movement."

Meanwhile, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of 41 farmer unions, has distanced itself from the violent protesters and said that these were farmers belonging to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and Bharatiya Kisan Union who refused to stick to the pre-decided route, reported India Today.

Also Read: Farmers' Tractor Rally: Police Use Tear Gas, Lathicharge As Protesters Break Barricades At Singhu, Ghazipur Border