Several Delhi Metro stations shut as farmers’ tractor rally turns violent
Violence broke out on Tuesday as farmers protesting against the three farm laws deviated from the route agreed upon with the police and entered Delhi.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Tuesday announced the closure of several Metro stations as farmers’ tractor march against the three contentious agricultural laws turned violent in the national capital. The action came after farmers deviated from the routes agreed upon by their leaders with the Delhi Police and marched into central Delhi and made their way to the Red Fort where the 72nd Republic Day parade ended earlier in the day.
“Security update. Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed,” the DMRC tweeted.
Entry and exit gates of Indraprastha and ITO Metro stations were closed as well, DMRC posted in subsequent updates.
Farmers protesting against the three laws took out their tractor rallies from three border points, Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, which have been the epicentre of these protests since November 26 last year. Despite the promise of a “peaceful” march by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of farmers’ organisations that is spearheading these protests and despite arriving at a mutual “consensus” with the police over the routes for the rally, a section of farmers deviated from the route and drove their tractors into the capital city.
The protesting farmers have also clashed with the police at ITO area of the Capital, where the headquarters of the Delhi Police is located. The clashes are on as farmers' leaders are trying to convince the protesters to get back on the route that was agreed with the police. The police gave permission for the rally on Sunday, despite claiming to have intelligence inputs of “anti-national” elements trying to hijack the agitation.
The protests against the farm laws, passed in September last year amid ruckus in Parliament, completed two months on Tuesday.