A day after the national capital witnessed unprecedented violence during Republic Day tractor rally - the Delhi Police on Wednesday alleged that farmer leaders made inflammatory speeches and were involved in the violence that left 394 of its personnel injured.
Addressing a press conference, Delhi police commissioner SN Srivastava said farmer unions broke the barricades and refused to stick to the designated route. As many as 25 FIRs have been registered so far, the senior police officer said, adding that no culprit will be spared.
Farmer leaders today appealed to protesting farmers to maintain peace and said their agitation against the centre's agricultural laws is a long one. Farmers also said they have suspended plans for a march to parliament next Monday, when the country's annual budget will be unveiled.
Meanwhile, Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu has come under scrutiny for the violence in Delhi. The actor-activist, once known to be close to movie star-turned-BJP MP Sunny Deol, was last seen at Red Fort, which became the epicenter of the chaos that descended upon Delhi. In a post on Facebook last evening, Deep Sidhu has defended the act, saying the protesters did not remove the national flag but put up the "Nishan Sahib" as a symbolic protest. He also claimed that it was a spontaneous act.
Satnam Singh Pannu, the farmer leader who knocked down the first barricade has denied any role in the Red Fort breach, has blamed the ruling BJP of organising the Red Fort violence to tarnish the farmer protests.