Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday visited hospitals in New Delhi to enquire about the health of policemen injured in the violence that broke out during the farmers’ tractor parade in the national capital on Republic Day.
Amit Shah tweeted: “Meeting the injured Delhi Police personnel. We are proud of their courage and bravery.” During the visit, Amit Shah interacted with Delhi police personnel and took stock of their health progress from doctors.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava accompanied the home minister.
Nearly 400 policemen were injured during the tractor parade of the farmers who have been protesting against three central farm laws at Delhi’s borders since November.
The home minister was scheduled to visit two hospitals — Shushrut Trauma Centre and Teerath Ram Hospital — to enquire about the health of the injured police personnel, an official from the Home Ministry said on Thursday morning.
The Delhi Police on Wednesday had alleged that farmer leaders made inflammatory speeches and were involved in the violence during the tractor parade by agitating farmers that left 394 of its personnel injured, as it warned that no culprit will be spared.
In a press conference, Delhi Police Commissioner S N Srivastava said farmer unions did not follow conditions set for the parade that was supposed to be held from 12 pm to 5 pm with 5,000 tractors and accused them of betrayal.
On Republic Day Tens of thousands of farmers broke barriers to storm New Delhi on Tuesday, their tractor parade to highlight their demands dissolving into unprecedented scenes of anarchy as they fought with police, overturned vehicles and delivered a national insult hoisting a religious flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India’s tricolour.
From Rajpath to Red Fort, the day unfolded in scenes of contrasts. One that Indians have seen for seven decades and the other that seared itself into collective memory with its imagery of protesters demanding a repeal of the three farm laws storming the Mughal era monument, the centrepiece of India’s Independence Day celebrations.
Clashes broke out in multiple places, leading to violence in well-known landmarks of Delhi and its suburbs, amid waves of violence that ebbed and flowed through the day.
A protester died after his tractor overturned near ITO in central Delhi.
