Farmerleaders under the ageis of Samyukta Kisan Morcha protesting against the threeCentral farm laws said on Tuesday that farmers of 32 unions from Punjab werefollowing the routes for the tractor rally defined by the Delhi Police and theydid not break the law and order.
Leadersof several farmers' unions have distanced themselves from the agitating goup offarmers swarmed the historic Red Fort in the heart if of the national cqapitalon Republic Day as the 'Kisan Gantantra Parade' turned violent at several partsof Delhi.
"Weare following the set routes," said Kripa Singh, a leader from the KisanBachao Morcha from Punjab.
Alarge group of farmers riding tractors and motorcycles thronged the Red Fortcarrying the tricolour and farmer union flags in their hands. A youth evenclimbed atop a flagpole at the 17th century monument and put up asaffron-coloured pennant on it.
Whenasked about the ruckus at Red Fort, Kripa Singh said, "It is the KisanMazdoor Sangharsh Commitee which broke the rules."
MajorSingh Punewal, General Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha, said that someunsocial elements are trying to spoil the farmers' agitiation.
Punewal,who was proceeding with the tractor rally, said his group has no intention tomove towards the Red Fort and would follow the route set by the Delhi Police.
RakeshTikait, national spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, also said that hewanted the rally to follow the defined route only.
Visualsfrom the spot showed farmers swarming the Red Fort even as hundreds of othersplayed a cat-and-mouse game with Delhi Police personnel near the ITOintersection in central Delhi, which witnessed chaos as security personnel wereclearly outnumbered by the protesters.
Othervideo clips showed farmers chasing away policemen on foot as well withtractors, and trying to remove a DTC bus parked across the ITO road stretch bypushing it out of the way with a tractor.
Thepolice fired tear-gas shells and lathi-charged the protesters on multipleoccasions as the farmers remained adamant to move towards the Red Fort.
Later,Rapid Action Force was also deployed at the ITO intersection.
Thefarmers, after the confrontation with the police that lasted for around 40minutes, moved towards Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, which houses the offices ofAam Aadmi Party (AAP), Delhi Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).