Delhi Police caught off guard by breach of trust by protesters?

New Delhi: When the Delhi police entered into an agreement with the protesting farmers, little did they realise there were chances of the agreement being violated by the protesters.

When the protesters broke barricades and entered Delhi as the R-Day parade at Rajpath went on, the policemen knew that the situation would turn bad.

The appeals by the police to maintain calm and follow the designated routes were ignored as thousands of protesters soon marched towards Delhi, clashing with the men in uniform at various points. Soon, TV channels started airing visuals of the protesting farmers with heavy sticks and even swords.

The protesting farmers around afternoon on Tuesday swarmed the Red Fort during a ‘tractor rally’ amid police attempts to block them from proceeding towards central Delhi.

They barged into the 17th century monument, climbed up the ramparts and waved farmer union flags and banners and even hoisted a pennant.

“The farmers violated the guidelines and the agreement they entered with the police regarding the tractor rally. They not just damaged public property but also tried to run over police personnel on duty endangering their lives, we are going to take legal action against the violent protesters,” said Alok Kumar, Joint CP, Delhi Police.

The police were caught off guard when the farmers opened multiple fronts at Karnal Bypass, Mukarba Chowk, Transport Nagar, Nangloi, Akshardham, Ghazipur and Tikri border.

Speeding tractors were seen on Delhi roads and one of them even met with an accident in which one farmer died at ITO.

Clashes between police and protesting farmers were witnessed at ITO as a section of farmers tried to break through the security cordon by Delhi Police in the heart of the city. More than 50 police personnel were injured in the violence.

The Delhi Police in a statement said that though it acted in a professional manner and in accordance to the guidelines agreed upon, the protesters took out the march before the designated time which led to the disturbances.

Police are now gathering inputs to identify the protesters involved in the violence.

IANS

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