Punjab Youth Congress workers on Monday, 28 September, set ablaze a tractor in the high security India Gate area to protest the three contentious farm laws against which pan-India protests have been taking place.
"It shows what people are feeling... their anger. Farmers don't know who is going to buy their produce from them,” Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh told NDTV, after the incident took place.
An FIR has been registered under various sections including a non-bailable section of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and six people have been arrested in connection with the protest and the burning of the tractor, according to ANI.
Two vehicles have also been seized.
Section 188, among other sections of the IPC; Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Diseases Act have been invoked, reported ANI.
The incident took place on Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s death anniversary. Tweeting about the incident, Youth Congress quoted Bhagat Singh and wrote, “If the deaf are to hear, the sound has to be very loud.”
Previously, according to NDTV, while holding a protest at the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh, the Punjab CM had said, “If it’s my tractor and I want to burn it... What is their problem?”
Singh, according to NDTV, further said that passing the farm bills by the central government was “anti-national.”
What is the Police Saying?
According to news agency IANS, a Delhi Police spokesperson said, "Today at around 7:15 am, 15-20 persons carrying a tractor in Tata 407 vehicle came to Rajpath, Man Singh Crossing."
Some of them brought a tractor out of the truck and tried to set it on fire. The fire has been doused and the tractor was also removed, the police was earlier quoted as saying.
“They claimed to be members of Youth Congress Punjab. Appropriate legal action has been taken. Five persons have been detained till now and one vehicle impounded. Affiliation of these persons is being verified.”Delhi Police spokesperson
‘Congress’ Drama’: Javadekar
A Facebook live video shared on the official page of the Punjab Youth Congress showed a group of people dropping the tractor from a truck near India Gate, before it is set on fire amid sloganeering.
Newly appointed president of BJP’s youth wing, Bengaluru MP Tejaswi Surya on Monday called the act “an insult to farmers”.
“A real farmer will never burn a tractor or anything that is used for farming. This kind of violent act by Youth Congress workers is an insult to the farmers,” Surya said, according to ANI.
Earlier on Monday, condemning the incident, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted, “This is Congress’ drama. That’s why people removed the Congress from power.”
Delhi BJP media cell chief Neelkant Bakshi has said that he will be filing an FIR against the Youth Congress workers, IANS reported.
"They are trying to spread riots in the country and I will be filing an FIR to stop this conspiracy," Bakshi reportedly added.
The incident comes as protests against the three farm bills passed by the Parliament have intensified in the last few days, especially in Punjab and Haryana. A bandh was observed in several states on Friday, with the Opposition parties also extending their support.
On Sunday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the three contentious bills. Farmer organisations have expressed concern over these laws being used to undermine the minimum support price (MSP) system, as well as giving greater power to corporates.
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