Terming the violence perpetrated by certain elements during Tuesday’s tractor rally in the national capital as unacceptable, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged all the genuine farmers to immediately vacate Delhi and return to the borders, where they had been protesting peacefully for the past two months.
The Chief Minister also ordered a high alert in Punjab amid the tension and violence in Delhi and directed Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state are not disturbed at any cost.
Expressing grave concern over the situation, the Chief Minister said the violence was apparently triggered by some people who violated the rules laid down for the tractor rally through mutual agreement between the Delhi Police and the farmers’ unions.
It was unfortunate that these elements disturbed the peaceful agitation of the farmers, he said, condemning the incidents that took place at the historic Red Fort and some other key points of the national capital.
Pointing out that the major farmer leaders had already disassociated themselves from the violence, Amarinder Singh said the agitating farmers should immediately vacate the national capital and get back to their camps at the borders, and continue to engage with the Centre to resolve the crisis over the farm laws.
“Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It’ll negate the goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves and suspended the tractor rally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi and return to borders,” the Chief Minister tweeted.
Amarinder Singh also called upon the farmers to continue to exercise the restraint with which they had conducted their peaceful protest for the past two months on the borders of Delhi, and in Punjab prior to that.
Pointing out that peace had been the hallmark of their agitation, and the reason for the support they had received from across India and the world, the Chief Minister stressed the need to maintain law and order at all costs.
The protesting farmers swarmed the Red Fort in the heart of the national capital on Republic Day even as the police tried to prevent them from heading towards central Delhi, resulting in violent clashes between the protesters and the police.
