‘Proud of their courage‘: Amit Shah visits cops injured in R-day violence
Delhi Police claimed to have handled the sudden violence with restraint averting a major law and order situation in the Capital on Republic Day.
Union home minister Amit Shah visits Shushrut Trauma Centre and Tirath Ram Hospital in Civil Lines area on Thursday to meet the police officers who received injuries during Republic Day tractor march. According to Delhi Police, over 300 policemen received injuries in the violence that broke out at ITO after protesting farmers deviated from their tractor march route and came inside the Capital.
Soon after the violence erupted and protesters reached the Red Fort, Union home minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday, directed additional deployment to maintain the law and order situation of the Capital.
The farmers’ unions have distanced themselves from the violence claiming that outsiders instigated protesters. But whoever was involved will not be spared, the Centre has issued a warning on Wednesday. Apart from Punjabi actor, singer Deep Sidhu and gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana, FIRs have been registered against union leaders including Rakesh Tikait among others. Union leaders have also been issued a notice asking them to explain their failure in controlling the protest while they gave an undertaking to the Delhi Police while the routes of their march were being negotiated.
Protesters have accused police personnel of resisting them by barricading. As a group of protesters moved towards Akshardham, Police resorted to tear gas shelling. However, the situation at ITO and then later at Red Ford became tense.
According to the account of one police officer on duty inside the Red Fort on Republic Day, there were slogans of ‘police ke maro’. Protesters armed with sticks entered the Red Fort and thrashed those on duty. At ITO, there were attempts to overrun police officers by tractors.
“As we moved to try and convince the protesters to stop, we were gheraoed by them. They started attacking us with lathis. We tried to run away but were trapped. I was attacked with lathis and sustained injuries on my wrist and head. I was not even in a position to stand and fell to the ground,” head constable Punjab Singh, who is undergoing treatment at Tirath Ram Shah Hospital, told PTI.
