Chanting 'rang de basanti' and 'jai jawan jai kisan' numerous farmers rode tractors, motorbikes, horses and even cranes to cross the national capital's borders into the city for their proposed parade against the three contentious farm laws. Standing atop vehicles decked up with flags, the protesters danced to the tune of patriotic songs such as 'Aisa desh hai mera' and 'Sare jahan se achcha'.
The rally was scheduled to head towards Apsara Border but some of the tractors pushed through a police barricade at Chintamani Chowk. This prompted lathicharge by the police who tried to push back the farmers.
A group of farmers who refused to follow the pre-decided routes, reached the ITO area in central Delhi. Police put barricades, used tear gas and lathicharge to stop them near Delhi Police headquaters to prevent them from moving towards Tilak Bridge.
In the chaos, windshields of some vehicles were shattered as the police managed to disperse the farmers.
Chaotic scenes were witnessed at ITO, where hundreds of protesters could be seen chasing police personnel with sticks and ramming their tractors into the buses parked by police. At the ITO, a bus was vandalised by angry farmers.
Police used tear gas on groups of farmers and resorted to baton charge as protestors broke past barricades with tractors at different border points and did not take the pre-decided routes for their march in the national capital.
Protesting farmers clashed with police at several places in the national capital and entered the iconic Red Fort and ITO in the heart of national capital, with hundreds of them deviating from pre-decided routes, prompting security personnel to resort to lathicharge and tear gas, PTI reported.
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First Published: Jan 26 2021 | 1:19 PM IST