Concerns that the tractor parade could go off course were expressed during a series of meetings held in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) over the past few days, sources told The Indian Express. However, despite the Delhi Police’s reservations, a political call was taken to allow the rally rather than letting the farmers take a “more confrontationist” stand.
On
Tuesday, as a section of protesters stormed the Red Fort, Home Minister Amit
Shah held a meeting with top officials of the MHA, Delhi Police and the
Intelligence Bureau (IB) at his residence. At the meeting, which began around
4.30 pm and continued for one-and-a-half hours, Shah reviewed the security
arrangements and discussed the next course of action to defuse the tension.
A
decision was taken to deploy additional forces from paramilitary units and
suspend Internet in some areas of the National Capital Region, including Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri,
Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi. Sources said five additional companies of the CRPF
were ordered to assist the Delhi Police. This was in addition to 115 companies
already at the disposal of Delhi Police for law and order duties. Fifteen of
these companies had been pressed into duty Monday.
But,
sources said, the security forces were overwhelmed by the sheer number and
aggression of the protesters. “There were cumulatively around 1 lakh protesters
and hundreds of tractors. The forces were overwhelmed but showed restraint and
did not fire. They had been told not to,” said an official.
“Standard
procedure would have been to disable the tractor’s tyres but their numbers were
too high and they were moving,” said an official.
Sources
said intelligence agencies did express apprehensions of law and order problems
if the tractor rally was allowed into the city on Republic Day. Even after
farmer unions agreed to stick to their designated routes, inputs suggested that
attempts would be made to break the barricades and enter the city.
“This is why the Delhi Police had earlier denied
permission for a tractor rally. However, the government was of the opinion that
not allowing farmers to hold the rally would only make them more
‘confrontationist and aggressive’, as they were expected to go ahead with the
rally, with or without permission. So a middle ground was negotiated, where the
farmers could hold their tractor rally without entering the heart of the city
on Republic Day,” said a home ministry official.
He said it was also anticipated that a section of
protesters would try to push their way into the city. “It was for this reason
that heavy barricading was done at Tikri, Singhu, Nangloi, Ghazipur and
elsewhere. Apart from iron barricades, cement barricades were used. There were
stretches where trailers were parked horizontally. At Ghazipur, a container
loaded with sand was used to block the road. But nothing could stop the
farmers. People toppled the trailer, cement barricades were knocked down and
pushed away, the sand container was towed away by tractors,” the official said.
Till noon on Tuesday, when farmers had already
broken through barricades at the borders, the Delhi Police kept receiving
inputs about the possibility of protesters marching towards Rajpath and Red
Fort. At 12.30 pm, a message sent by the Special Branch of Delhi Police to all
DCPs and senior officers read: “Inputs have been received that the reaching of
farmers with tractors to Rajpath, India Gate, Red Fort, Ramlila Ground,
Rashtrapati Bhawan, PM residence, HM residence, Parliament House, CM House and
LG House cannot be ruled out… It is suggested that adequate and prompt
arrangements by local police, including women personnel, PCR, and traffic, may
be deployed.”
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