Republic Day violence: Mayawati seeks repeal of farm laws, Akhilesh blames BJP

New Delhi, Jan 27: BSP national president Mayawati and her Samajwadi Party (SP) counterpart Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday slammed the BJP and its government at the centre over the Tuesday's tractors' parade violence and chaos in the national capital.

Terming the violence unfortunate, Mayawati asked the Centre to immediately repeal the three new farm laws while Akhilesh held BJP responsible for the incident.

In a set of two tweets in Hindi, Mayawati said, "All that happened in the country's capital Delhi on the Republic Day must not have happened at all. It is extremely unfortunate, and the Central government must take it very seriously. At the same time, BSP yet again appeals the Central government to repeal the three farm laws without any further delay and end the protracted movement by the farmers so that such unfortunate incidents do not occur ever again."

Akhilesh Yadav, who addressed a tractors' rally in his ancestral village of Saifai, Etawah on Tuesday, took to Twitter on Wednesday morning and said: "It is the BJP government's constant neglect, insult, and accusation of farmers that played a decisive role in turning farmers' anger into a rage. BJP is fully responsible for the circumstances that have now emerged. Now, taking the moral responsibility for it, the BJP (government) must repeal the farm laws immediately," Akhilesh said.

Thousands of farmers broke barriers to storm the national capital on Tuesday leading to clashes with police at multiple places, following the protesting farmers' intimidating tactics at the ITO cross section and hoisting of religious flag at the red fort.

The Delhi Police has registered 22 FIRs so far in connection with the violence seen during the tractor parade, organised by the farmers in the national capital, which left over 100 policemen injured, claimed officials.

The trouble began when the tractors rally, organised to oppose the three Central farm laws, left the pre-decided route and marched to central Delhi, the farmers, led by Nihangs on their horses and equipped with swords, kirpans and other weapons, charged at the police and broke through several layers of barricades, which were erected the police said.

At Red Fort, they broke the gates and entered its wells. A section of the crowd also managed to climb atop the rampart of the Red Fort where they hoisted their organisation's flag, the statement had added.