The police have received intelligence inputs about terror groups from Pakistan who aim to disrupt the proposed rally.
On Sunday, after several rounds of talks between the Delhi Police and farmer unions, the police allowed farmers to hold the proposed Republic Day tractor rally in the national capital on January 26, from three border points – Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur. The Delhi Police said: “Protesting farmers can enter Delhi but can’t disturb the Republic Day parade.”
The police stated that tractors will enter Delhi but will stay in areas near the border from the three entry points. Each of the planned routes is approximately 60km long and in total around 100km is within the territory of Delhi. The farmers are permitted to enter the national capital after the official Republic Day parade ends in the afternoon on Tuesday.
The Indian newspaper The Hindu reported that Special Commissioner of Police Intelligence Deependra Pathak said the Delhi police had come to an in-principle understanding, which will be “a win-win situation for all.” Pathak also told The Hindu that there will be a high level of security for the rally to make sure no anti-social elements disturb the peace and the police will work with the farmers to create a secure environment for the rally.
According to various media reports, police have received intelligence inputs about terror groups from Pakistan who aim to disrupt the proposed rally. The police said: “After analysis of Twitter handles it was revealed that there are 308 such accounts created in Pakistan which are attempting to create confusion and thus disturbances during farmers’ rally.”
According to sources, the Delhi Police’s cyber teams are keeping a vigil on social media to track miscreants who may try to create panic. The police have made arrangements for evacuation in case of emergency and the routes were chosen with this aspect in mind.
In a press conference held late Sunday evening, farmer union leaders assured that their rally would be peaceful and no one would be allowed to consume intoxicants or carry weapons of any type. The leaders also said that their volunteers will take action and remove any tractor from the rally if they deviate from the decided route.
Meanwhile, a farmer from Punjab wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother, asking her to prevail upon her son to repeal the three farm laws.
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