With the Opposition gunning for him for the farmers-led chaos in Delhi on the Republic Day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday took stock of the security situation and measures taken to ensure peace in the city. Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and senior officers of the MHA and the Delhi Police attended the meeting.
“The Home Minister reviewed the law and order situation in Delhi, which witnessed violence during the farmers’ tractor rally on Tuesday, an official said.
The high-level meeting decided to take action against all leaders responsible for untoward incidents on Tuesday in the Capital. Delhi Police was directed to register FIRs on the various incidents. The Central Government has deployed around 4,500 paramilitary troops to assist the Delhi Police in maintaining law and order.
Rapid Action Force personnel have also been repositioned in the national Capital and vigil has been intensified in view of the evolving situation.
Meanwhile, the Congress blamed the BJP-led Central Government for the violence and vandalism that ensued on the streets of national Capital on Republic Day and demanded resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for failing to protect Red Fort.
“Union Home Minister Amit Shah is directly responsible for the violence carried out in the name of farmers protest. His failure to stop the vandalism despite intelligence inputs means he has no right to remain in his position. We demand that he resign from his position immediately,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said at AICC Press conference.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi appealed to the Narendra Modi Government on Wednesday to repeal, what he claimed were, “anti-agriculture” laws.
Taking to Twitter, he also shared a quote by Mahatma Gandhi — “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
“Once again, I appeal to the Modi Government that the anti-agriculture laws be taken back immediately,” Rahul said in a tweet in Hindi. A day earlier Rahul Gandhi said that violence is not the solution to any problem and sought repeal of the three farm laws in “national interest”.
Surjewala said it was on second occasion that Amit Shah failed to stop violence in the national Capital and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack him immediately from the Union Cabinet. “If Prime Minister Narendra Modi fails to expel Shah, it would be clear that he too was part of the conspiracy,” alleged Surjewala.
“This is the first time that any Government has failed to protect Red Fort,” the Congress said, alleging that “a few vandals were allowed to enter the Red Fort while the Delhi Police was sitting on their chairs”.
The tractor parade that was to highlight the demands of the farmer unions to repeal three new farm laws dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the city as a section of protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles, and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. One farmer was killed allegedly in firing, while over 1,000 farmers and over 300 cops were injured, reports said.
Thursday, 28 January 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
