Villagers demand eviction of protesters; police resort to baton charge to break up groups; SHO attacked with sword, injured; accused arrested
A large group of men claiming to be local residents clashed with protesting farmers at Singhu border on Friday, triggering chaos resulting in the Delhi Police resorting to firing tear gas shells and baton charge to break up warring groups.
The protesters hurled stones at each other at the site.
Delhi Police SHO (Alipur) Pradeep Paliwal sustained severe injuries in the violence after a man attacked him with a sword, an official said, adding that several other protesters and policemen sustained injuries during the clashes. Police said they have arrested accused Ranveer Singh, a resident of Punjab, who attacked the SHO.
“SHO Alipur, Delhi, intervened between rioting protesters (MKSC faction) and local Singhu villagers, who had gone to register their protest against the happenings on Republic Day-2021 and continued loss of ordinary livelihood for over two months,” the Delhi Police said in a tweet.
In another tweet, police said, “This is how the SHO was assaulted; he has suffered grievous injuries on his hand. Peace has been restored. Legal action is being initiated.”
The group claiming to be locals demanded that the farmers vacate the Singhu border, one of the main protest sites around the Capital, alleging that the protesting farmers had “insulted” the national flag during their tractor parade on Republic Day.
Armed with sticks, the group of locals reached the site and asked the farmers to leave while raising slogans against them.
The protesters at the Singhu border, much of which is barred for entry from outside, came out in large numbers to resist the locals.
However, they were promptly stopped by farmer union volunteers which helped the situation from turning ugly.
“They are not locals, but hired goons. They were throwing stones, petrol bombs at us. They attempted to burn down our trolleys also. We are here to resist them. We won’t leave the place,” said Harkirat Mann Beniwal, 21, from Punjab’s Khana district.
Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor rally called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for repeal of the Centre’s three farm laws. Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.
Some protesters even hoisted a religious flag and a kisan union flag on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled by the Prime Minister on Independence Day.
Saturday, 30 January 2021 | Staff Reporter | New Delhi
