Security personnel conduct a flag march at Ghazipur border during the ongoing farmers’ agitation- PTI photo
New Delhi: Delhi Police on Thursday issued lookout notices against farmer leaders named in an FIR in connection with the violence during the farmers” tractor parade on Republic Day and invoked sedition charges in a case of the Red Fort incident as the force intensified its investigation.
It also asked the farmer leaders to submit their response within three days, explaining why legal action should not be taken against them as they did not follow conditions set for the parade.
Sources said that around nine crack teams have been formed to locate all the culprits, even as there was no official confirmation from the police yet.
The move comes a day after Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava said that no culprit would be spared. On Thursday, Shrivastava held a meeting with the special commissioner of police (Intelligence) and other senior police officers at the police headquarters.
The farmer unions protesting against the three farm laws alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the violence, which left 394 police personnel injured and one protestor dead.
Thousands of protesting farmers, who reached ITO from the Ghazipur border, had clashed with the police on January 26. Many of them, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.
Some protestors even hoisted flags on the domes and placed the flagstaff at the ramparts of the national monument, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.
“The Delhi Police has issued lookout notices against farmer leaders named in an FIR in connection with the violence during the tractor parade,” the police commissioner said.
Police have named 37 farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav and Medha Patkar, in the FIR that mentioned charges of attempt to murder, rioting and criminal conspiracy.
Other farmer leaders who have been listed in the FIR are Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chanduni, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Satnam Singh Pannu, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Surjeet Singh Phool, Jagjeet Singh Dalewal, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Harinder Singh Lakhoval.
Delhi Police has registered a sedition case in connection with the violence at Red Fort during a tractor parade by farmers on Republic Day, officials said on Thursday.
According to a senior police officer, a case under section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered and the incident is being investigated.
Earlier, Delhi Police had named actor Deep Sidhu and gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana in an FIR lodged in connection with the Red Fort incident.
At the Singhu border point, a ”sadbhawana march” was taken out by protesting farmer unions.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday visited a hospital here to enquire about the health of policemen injured in the violence.
“Meeting the injured Delhi Police personnel. We are proud of their courage and bravery,” Shah tweeted.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava accompanied the home minister.
During the visit, Shah interacted with policemen and also took stock of their health progress from doctors.
In a written message to Delhi Police personnel on Thursday, Shrivastava said that coming days can be more challenging and they will have to be alert.
“You have showed great patience despite the farmers” agitation turning violent…394 of our friends have been injured in the violence during the farmers” agitation,” he said in his message.
Meanwhile, Delhi border points remained under heavy police deployment on Thursday in the aftermath of the violence. Security personnel have also been deployed at the Red Fort.
A group of people claiming to be locals at Delhi”s Singhu border staged protest at the Singhu border, demanding that the area be vacated following the Republic Day violence in the city.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points, demanding a complete repeal of the three farm laws.
‘No Arrests Will Happen, Will Hang Myself’
Meanwhile Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait was seen giving a fiery speech as police arrived at the Ghazipur border. “Police will be responsible if something happens here,” he said.
The police arrived at the Ghazipur protest site after Ghaziabad District Magistrate (DM) gave an ultimatum to the protesting farmers to vacate the Ghazipur border protest site by today evening.
While issuing the order, DM also said that free transportation will be provided by the administration for farmers to go home. Around 1,200 farmers are protesting at the site. A massive deployment of security forces has taken place at the Ghazipur border protest site.
But as the police movement was witnessed near the protest site, BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said that no arrests will happen there. If anything happens, the police will be responsible. “Yahan goli chalegi (Bullet will be fired here),” he said in exact words.
He also claimed that BJP and its members were doing “Gundagardi (hooliganism)” and that they brought 100 people to beat up the protesters. “We were ready for talks but we know what will happen if my companions and I are arrested,” he said and added that “I will hang myself”.
This development comes in as sources report that Tikait’s arrest is likely to happen soon in the case of R-Day violence.
As power and water supply were cut off at the protest site, the BKU spokesperson refused to drink water. He said that he will only drink the water that comes from his village.
Police Puts Up Notice Outside Tikait’s Tent
Delhi Police put up a notice outside Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait’s tent at the Ghazipur border asking to explain why legal action should not be taken against him for breaching the agreement with police regarding the tractor rally on January 26.
The notice reads, “You are directed to provide names of the perpetrators of such violent acts belonging to your organisation. You are directed to submit your response within 3 days”.
In response to this, the BKU spokesperson said: “I’ll read the notice, they’ve given me 3-day time for a reply. Farmers came here as the responsibility of farmer unions and they take their responsibility. We had photographed the route given to us in writing. Police barricaded it and kept the route to Delhi free”.
“Someone goes there and hoists a flag, why was no firing done? Where were the Police? How did he go there? Police allowed him to leave and didn’t arrest him. Nothing has been done even now. Who was the person who maligned an entire community and organisation?” Rakesh Tikait had said blaming Deep Sidhu.
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