One arrested for violence, raising flag at Red Fort during tractor rally

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

New Delhi, Feb 04, 2021:     One person has been arrested for the raising of a Sikh religious flag - later identified as the "Nishan Sahib" - at the Red Fort last week, amid violent clashes between farmers and police during the tractor rally held in Delhi on Republic Day.

 

The arrested individual has been identified as Dharmendra Singh Harman.

Earlier on Wednesday the police also released photographs of 12 suspects, who were identified after review of security footage. The people in the photos are seen holding sticks or lathis and the police believe they were involved in the violence at the Red Fort or in attacking police personnel.

The police also announced a ₹ 1 lakh reward for information on the whereabouts of Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, whom the farmers blame for inciting violence and derailing their peaceful rally.

So far, the police have filed over 40 cases and arrested over 120 people; details - names and addresses - of those arrested were released Monday.

Cases have also been filed against journalists, including Rajdeep Sardesai, and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for posts on the death of a farmer during clashes at the ITO junction in central Delhi.

Notices were sent to 20 farmer leaders, and Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav, asking why legal action should not be taken against them.

The notices were issued claiming that those named in them did adhere to conditions laid down by the police while giving farmers permission to hold the rally on Republic Day.

The farmers hit back, saying they would not be intimidated by police action.

Chaos was unleashed upon Delhi last Tuesday after a tractor rally by farmers agitating against the centre’s agriculture laws went off the agreed-upon course and some of the protesters drove into the 400-year-old Mughal-era fort complex.

Police, who repeatedly appealed for calm and urged protesting farmers to stand down and return to the agreed routes, finally resorted to firing tear gas and lathi charges to regain control.

Amid the violence, dozens of protesters were filmed climbing the ramparts of the fort and raising the Sikh religious flag.

The Indian flag was left untouched. There was, however, damage to the centuries-old monument, the government said last week.Culture Minister Prahlad Patel said the Lahori Gate had been vandalised, some lights were broken and structures on a minar - where the Prime Minister unveils the national flag - were missing.