Delhi Police registers 38 FIRs, arrests 84 people in connection with tractor rally violence on January 26

The arrests come following the tractor rally on 72nd Republic Day that turned violent when some protesters deviated from the pre-agreed routes. The protestors also breached barricades and clashed with police, in which, over 400 police personnel were injured, and 30 police vehicles were damaged.

Photo: PTI

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Saturday (January 30, 2021) said that it has so far registered 38 FIRs and arrested 84 people in connection with the tractor rally violence on January 26. 

"Total 38 FIRs registered and 84 people arrested so far in connection with 26th January violence," ANI quoted Delhi Police as saying.

The development comes following the tractor rally on 72nd Republic Day that turned violent when some protesters deviated from the pre-agreed routes. The protestors also breached barricades and clashed with police, in which, over 400 police personnel were injured, and 30 police vehicles were damaged. 

Earlier on Friday, the Special Cell of Delhi Police summoned six farmer leaders, including BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait and Boota Singh Burjgil, to the Crime Branch office for questioning. The Crime Branch is probing cases of violence at the Red Fort, ITO, Nangloi Crossing, and six other places during the farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day.

Meanwhile, the Centre on Saturday temporarily suspended the internet services at the Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri borders of Delhi to 'maintain public safety and averting public emergency'

This comes on a day when the agitating farmer leaders held a day-long fast at various protest sites on Delhi's borders on Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary on Saturday. 

Thousands of farmers have camped at Delhi's borders and are demanding a rollback of these three 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.

The agitating farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.