No one will be spared: Delhi Police Commissioner

While the farmer leaders were on the back foot, announcing cancellation of their Budget Day rally plans, the Centre pushed back firmly on Wednesday, with the Delhi police arresting 19 persons and detaining 50 others, while confirming further action against all farm leaders who broke the routes protocol that had been agreed upon for their tractor parade on the Republic Day.

Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava said the leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), comprising various kisan organisations, violated the undertaking they had given to the police for conducting the kisan tractor rally on the Republic Day peacefully.

Shrivastava said 25 criminal cases have been registered so far and investigations can be carried out by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). He added that proceedings will be carried out under Section 124A of the IPC dealing with sedition as and when necessary.

Besides naming leaders of the SKM, including Satnam Singh Pannu, Buta Singh Burjgil, Rakesh Tikait and Darshan Pal who provoked the crowds, the Police Commissioner also mentioned actor Deep Singh Sidhu, whose video shows him hoisting the Sikh religion flag, the Nishan Sahib, at the Red Fort.

An FIR naming all the farm leaders who represented the protesters in their talks with the Government has been registered.

The Police Commissioner said 394 police personnel have been injured and admitted to hospitals; some are in ICU. About 30 police vehicles have been damaged and 428 barricades and six containers and dumpers used to block traffic have been broken. The police have identified 308 twitter handles which, the Commissioner said, were being operated from Pakistan.

Threat to national security

“We have exercised restraint and controlled the crowds. But let there be no mistake that no one will be spared. We will use facial recognition to identify the culprits of this violence and book them. We will be firm against all those so-called farm leaders who have posed a threat to national security. No one who has violated the agreement with the police to conduct a peaceful parade will be spared,” said Shrivastava.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar held a late night press conference, attacking the farmers’ leaders and the Opposition, especially the Congress for “inciting” the common farmer.

“The violence that happened in Delhi yesterday needs to be condemned in the strongest terms. All those who incited the crowds need to be acted against. The way the National Flag was insulted in the Red Fort will not be tolerated.” said Javadekar