BKU leader Rakesh Tikait
Delhi Police has issued a notice to Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait asking him to explain as to why legal action should not be taken against him for breaching the agreement with police regarding the tractor rally on January 26. Delhi Police has asked him to submit the response within three days.
"You are also directed to provide names of the perpetrators of such violent acts belonging to your organisation. You are directed to submit your response within three days," the notice reads.
The police have also put up notice outside Tikait's tent at the Ghazipur border, where farmers have been protesting against the newly enacted farm laws for over two months.
Tikait had on Wednesday distanced himself from the violence and Red Fort incident during farmers' tractor rally on the Republic Day, stating that "those who created violence and unfurled flags at the fort will have to pay for their deeds."
Delhi Police has issued notices to at least 20 farmer leaders on Thursday for breaching the agreement with police regarding the farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day. The notice was served by the police to farmer leaders including Yogendra Yadav, Baldev Singh Sirsa and Balbir S Rajewal and asked them to give a reply within three days, informed Delhi Police.
The developments come a day after Delhi Police registered an FIR at Samaypur Badli police station against 37 farmer leaders including Medha Patkar, Buta Singh, Darshan Pal, Rakesh Tikait, Rajinder Singh, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Yogendra Yadav for Tuesday's violence.
Police said their "preplanned objective of not following the mutually agreed route and the timing of the commencement of the so-called parade' was to disrupt the Republic Day Parade and the protesters resorted to the above said acts, and their gathering was also in violation of the guidelines in view of COVID-19."
Nineteen people have been so far arrested and over 25 criminal cases registered by Delhi Police in connection with the violence that broke out during the farmers' tractor march on Tuesday, Police Commissioner (CP) SN Shrivastava had said on Wednesday adding that 394 police personnel sustained injuries in the violence and several of them are still admitted to hospitals.
Several public and private properties were damaged in acts of vandalism by the protestors. A total of 22 FIRs have been filed by the Delhi Police with one of them mentioning the incident at ITO where a farmer died after his tractor overturned.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
