Farmers' stir: 2 unions break away; police file FIRs over R-Day violence

A day after violence shook Delhi before and during the tractor parade by agitating farmers against the government’s Farm Laws, police on Wednesday filed FIRs against several farmer leaders.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav were among those booked for violating the NOC guidelines issued for the parade.

Delhi Police also said 200 people have been detained in connection with the violence in the capital.

So far, 22 FIRs have been registered in connection with the violence in which over 300 policemen were injured.

The police said that it has registered FIRs under IPC Sections 395 (dacoity), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 120b (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and other sections.

The police officer in the FIR has alleged that farmers tried to kill him by riding tractors over the barricades.

He also said that it was done on the orders of leaders. The number plates of the vehicles were hidden, the barricades were broken and tractors went ahead brushing away the police personnel. While the permitted time was between noon and 5 pm, the tractor rally began early. Furthermore, while the limit was for 5,000 tractors, more than the permitted number was used.

Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) pulled out their support from the protest.

“The farmers’ movement will continue for as long as the issue of MSP guarantee stands but not in this way. We have not come here for people to be martyred or to get them beaten up. We can’t support taking forward the movement with people who want to take it in another direction,” Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan leader VM Singh said. “We have come only to get a guarantee for MSP.”

“I am deeply pained by whatever happened in Delhi yesterday and ending our 58-day protest,” Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh, president of the BKU, said.

Abhay Chautala, the lone MLA of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in the Haryana Assembly, also handed over his resignation to the speaker in protest over the Centre’s three new farm laws. The speaker has also accepted his resignation. 

Earlier this month, Chautala had offered to resign from State Assembly if the Union government fails to repeal the three farm legislations till Republic Day.