India / India won't tolerate insult of Tricolour at Red Fort: Javadekar

New Delhi: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday condemned the violence which unfolded on the streets of Delhi after the farmers' Republic Day tractor parade yesterday took a chaotic turn, and said action should be taken against every involved party who instigated others.

India won't tolerate the manner in which the Tricolour was insulted at the Red Fort, the Union Minister added.

"The manner in which there was violence in Delhi yesterday, the more it is condemned, the less it is. Action should be against all of those who instigated others. India won't tolerate the manner in which the Tricolour was insulted at the Red Fort," news agency ANI quoted Javadekar as saying.

He further targetted the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in Punjab as well as Rahul Gandhi in particular for 'instigating' the farmers' agitation.

"When some farmer leaders had said on 26th that it's the final match, then the Punjab government should have monitored the tractors leaving from the state and made preventive arrests of habitual criminals," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

He added, "Rahul Gandhi wasn't only supporting protest but also instigating. It was the same during the CAA. Congress holds rallies, they instigate people to take to streets and agitation begins the next day. It happened during this agitation too. They instigated the farmers."

Javadekar alleged that both the Communists and the Congress are desperate since they are "losing elections", which is why these parties want to "stoke disturbance in the country."

It is to be noted that the Congress has, in turn, blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for failing to prevent a 'collapse' of law and order in the national capital and demanded his removal from office.

Notably, the tractor parade on Tuesday that was to highlight the demands of the farmer unions to repeal three new agri laws dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the city as tens of thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

Protesters agitating against the new farm laws entered the premises of Red Fort in the national capital and waved flags they were carrying from its ramparts, a place reserved for the tricolour.

They also damaged the public properties in the premises. The entire area saw chaotic scenes for hours as the protesters pelted stones at police and damaged vehicles. Police personnel tried to control the mob by baton-charging them and lobbing tear gas shells.

A total of 22 FIRs have been registered regarding the violence in which over 300 police personnel were injured. The Delhi Police is scheduled to hold a press briefing today.

Farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their Kisan tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre's three new farm laws. Several public and private properties were damaged in acts of vandalism by the rioting mob.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.