Repeated promises in vain: How the farmer protest turned violent

New Delhi, Jan 26: Thousands of tractors took a turn towards ITO, despite the farmers' unions repeatedly promosing that the tractor rally will not enter the Capital.

There were clear directives that were issued stating that no loudspeakers would be played and the tractors should not have more than five people. However none of these directives were followed.

The flashpoint of today's chaos was the participation of the Nihang Sikhs who came on horses carrying and welding swords and sticks. It was decided that the rally will enter Delhi from Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders, following which it would return.

However the farmers complained that the police did not remove the barricades and were not permitting them to enter Delhi. According to the route map, the march from Singhu was supposed to pass through Kanjhawala, Bawana, Auchandi border, KMP Expressway and then return to Singhu.

The Tikri route was to Nagloi, Najafgarh and Western Peripheral Expressway, while the Ghazipur border route was meant to be on the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal Expressway.

The first clash broke out at the barricades, while another took place where the protesters had deviated from the routes. The police resorted to lathi charge and tear gas shelling.

The protesters also stormed the Red Fort waved farm union flags from its ramparts. The riot police had to fire tear gas and use water canons at numerous places to push back the protesters. The police had to use buses in an attempt to stop the farmers from reaching the centre of the capital. The farmers were seen ramming those buses with their tractors.