Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday condemned the act of hoisting farmers' flag on the top of the Red Fort and said that though farmers have his support and sympathies in their protest against the three agriculture laws, he can't condone lawlessness. Terming the sudden turn of events in Delhi leading to protesters reaching atop the Red Fort and hoisting their flag as 'unfortunate, Tharoor said that on Republic Day, no other flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort.
"Saddened to learn of the death of a protestor in police firing. Authorities must urge the police to observe restraint. Violence resolves nothing & resorting to it reduces the state to the level of its enemies. We must resolve this crisis through democratic means, not force," Tharoor added.
The Congress has been supporting farmers' protest against the three agriculture laws before their 'Dilli Chalo' protests began. In October, the Congress organised tractor yatra in Punjab in which Rahul Gandhi took part. During his recent visit to Tamil Nadu, he referred to the issue of the farmers and said he was happy that farmers are sticking to their demands.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress has been supporting farmers' protest against the three agriculture laws before their 'Dilli Chalo' protests began. In October, the Congress organised tractor yatra in Punjab in which Rahul Gandhi took part. During his recent visit to Tamil Nadu, he referred to the issue of the farmers and said he was happy that farmers are sticking to their demands.
{{/usCountry}}Follow live updates of farmers' tractor march
Tuesday's event, however, has drawn flak from the Congress as Rahul Gandhi too condemned the violence and said that it could not be the solution.
However, when the clash began, the Youth Congress tweeted that it was a conspiracy of the government to tarnish the image of the farmers.
Soon after protesters began their tractor march, clash with police erupted at several areas. Protesters broke barricades and Delhi Police resorted to tear gas shelling, lathi charge. With this going on at several points, groups of protesters entered the Capital, clashed with the police at the ITO, went to the Red fort, put up their flags.