Tractor rally chaos: Here’s what farmer leaders said

Farm unions announced that the movement will “continue peacefully” as thousands of protesting farmers overwhelmed police and stormed into the Red Fort after breaking barricades

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body coordinating the farmer protests, called off the “Kisan Republic Day Parade” on Tuesday evening and appealed to all participants to return to their respective protest sites. It announced that the movement will “continue peacefully” as thousands of protesting farmers overwhelmed police and stormed into the Red Fort after breaking barricades and driving tractors through roadblocks: Here is what farmers leaders said about the chaos:

Farmers put up flags on a dome of Red Fort after their tractor parade on Republic Day, in New Delhi. (PTI)

• SKM leader Darshan Pal: “Undesirable and unacceptable events have taken place today. We dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts. It is unfortunate. We have appealed to everybody to return to their bases. Those who stay put in the Capital will have to face the law.”

• “Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals have violated the route and indulged in condemnable acts. Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement,” farm unions’ said in a statement.

• Kavitha Kuruganti, a farm leader: “The first group that broke the set routes was not part of the Punjab platform, and since yesterday, farmer leaders from Samyukt Kisan Morcha were pleading with them not to do this. We still do not know who all went into the Red Fort.”

• Yogendra Yadav: “Peace is our strength. If peace is broken, then our strength is broken.”