News Analysis India

Tag: Republic day violence

  • ‘An attempt to browbeat media’: Media bodies slam FIRs against journalists over R-Day violence

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Media bodies on Friday strongly condemned the filing of FIRs against senior editors and journalists for their reporting on the farmers’ tractor rally and the ensuing violence here on Republic Day, saying it was an attempt to “browbeat” and “intimidate” the media.

    In a statement, the Editors Guild of India demanded that such FIRs be withdrawn immediately and the media be allowed to report without fear and with freedom.

    It said journalists have been specifically targeted for reporting the accounts pertaining to the death of one of the protestors on their personal social media handles as well as those of the publications they lead and represent.

    “It must be noted that on the day of the protest and high action, several reports were emerging from eyewitnesses on the ground as well as from police, and therefore it was only natural for journalists to report all the details as they emerged. This is in line with established norms of journalistic practice,” the Guild said.

    The Editors Guild said it “strongly condemns the intimidating manner in the way in which the Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Police” have registered FIRs against senior editors and journalists (including current and former office-bearers of EGI) for reporting on the farmers’ protest rallies and the ensuing violence that took place in the national capital on January 26.

    ALSO READ | FIR against Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai others for seditious tweets on farmer’s death during tractor rally

    The FIRs allege that the tweets were intentionally malicious and were the reason for the desecration of the Red Fort, the Guild noted, asserting that nothing can be further from truth.

    “On a day thick with information, the EGI finds these FIRs, filed in different states, as an attempt to intimidate, harass, browbeat, and stifle the media,” the Guild said.

    That the FIRs have been booked under a total of 10 different provisions, including sedition laws, promoting communal disharmony, and insulting religious beliefs, is further disturbing, it said.

    “This targeting of journalists grievously violates and tramples on every value that our democratic republic stands for. It is intended to grievously hurt the media and prevent it from working as an independent watchdog of Indian democracy,” the statement said.

    ​ALSO READ | Now, MP Police books Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai, others for spreading misinformation

    “We demand that the FIRs be withdrawn immediately and the media be allowed to report without fear and with freedom,” the Guild said.

    The Guild also reiterated its earlier demand that the higher judiciary takes serious cognizance of the fact that several laws such as a sedition are often used to impede freedom of speech, and issue guidelines to ensure that “wanton use of such laws does not serve as a deterrent to a free press”.

    The Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) also “unequivocally” condemned the Uttar Pradesh Police’s decision to file an FIR for sedition against Mrinal Pande, founder president of the IWPC, along with several leading journalists, allegedly because they shared “unverified” news during the farmers tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.

    The Editors Guild of India condemns the intimidating manner in which UP and MP police have registered FIRs against senior journalists, for reporting on farmers’ protests in Delhi on Jan 26. EGI finds these FIRs as an attempt to intimidate, harass, and stifle free media. pic.twitter.com/Mf3albnYvs
    — Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) January 29, 2021

    In a statement, the IWPC said it believes that the charges against Pande, who has been the editor of several leading news publications in the country, “smack of a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the situation”.

    “It is an attempt to browbeat the media and push it to fall in line,” the IWPC said.

    To attribute malafide intent against Pande and the other journalists charged is a “ham handed attempt at besmirching their reputation”, it said.

    The Press Club of India said it is shocked to learn that UP and MP police have lodged FIRs against respected journalists, and others, on various counts of breach of criminal law, including sedition.

    “We call upon the authorities in Lucknow and Bhopal to retract their vile move against well-known and respected journalists.

    We also call upon the Union Home Ministry to reassess the situation and tender the counsel of caution to the UP and the MP governments,” the Press Club said.

    “Anything less will be a willful tampering with the tenets of democracy. It will also be seen as a move to muzzle the media. We urge the government not to drag journalists in its ongoing actions in relation to protesting farmers,” it said.

    Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists have been booked by the Noida Police for sedition, among other charges, over the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi, officials said on Thursday.

    The journalists named in the FIR are Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod Jose, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath and an unidentified person has also been named in the FIR.

    Madhya Pradesh police have also filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Tharoor and the six journalists over their ‘misleading’ tweets on the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi.

  • Now, MP Police books Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai, others for spreading misinformation

    Express News Service
    BHOPAL: As many as four criminal cases have been registered against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, journalist Rajdeep Sardesai and others in three districts of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh for allegedly spreading misinformation on social media about the January 26 farmers’ tractor rally.

    The FIRs were lodged on the complaints of farmers. Among the accused are Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai (India Today), Mrinal Pandey (National Herald) Zafar Agha (Urdu daily Qaumi Awaz), and Paresh Nath, Anant Nath, and Vinod Jose (The Caravan).

    The cases have been lodged at Misrod police station of Bhopal and the Sarani and Multai police stations of Betul and Shivpur police station of Hoshangabad district.

    The cases have been registered under IPC Sections, including 124-A (sedition),153-A (promoting enmity between groups), 153-B (imputation or assertion prejudicial to national integration), 295-A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings), Section 504 (intentional insult), Section 506 (criminal intimidation), 505(2) (statements conducing public mischief), 298 (uttering words, etc with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), 120-B (criminal conspiracy to commit offence punishable by death) and 34 (acts done by several persons with a common intent).

    While confirming the lodging of the four FIRs, the in-charges of the four police stations said investigations are now underway in all the cases.  

    ALSO READ | FIR against Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai others for seditious tweets on farmer’s death during tractor rally

    Complainants farmer Balmukund Singh Dongre (who filed FIR at the Multai police station in Betul district) said, “I belong to a family whose prime occupation has been farming for many generations. We all were backing the farmers’ stir until the violent incidents happened in Delhi on Republic Day.”

    “The Republic Day violence is condemnable. No farmer can attack the police. Farmer is Anndaataa and not Atankwadi who will disrespect the national flag. All those involved in the violence shouldn’t be spared at any cost,” Dongre said.

    “Instead of behaving responsibly, prominent citizens, including Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor and senior journalists such as Rajdeep Sardesai and Mrinal Pandey spread misinformation about a farmer being died after being hit by bullets fired by police during the tractor rally, which was ultimately responsible for adding fuel to the massive violence across the national capital thereafter. All those named in the FIR should be sternly dealt with under the law of the land, which is why I have lodged a case against them,” the young farmer said. 

    Earlier, on Thursday a similar FIR was registered against the same persons by the Uttar Pradesh police.

  • Antiquities inside Red Fort missing, tableaux damaged during R-day violence, says Prahlad Patel

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Two brass finials on top of the minar were found missing after chaos ensued in Red Fort complex on Republic Day but were found later in broken state, said Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel on Thursday. 

    The ticket counter was destroyed, Lahori Gate vandalised and lights broken due to the protests, Patel said. “The financial damage of lights and ticket counter can be assessed. But one cannot put a price on the archaeological remains of it,” said Patel, adding the heritage value of the Red Fort complex needs to be preserved.

    In the first floor, an interpretation centre which was under construction had suffered damages too, the Minister said. The biggest loss was at the ‘most high security area’, where finials on a minar were found missing but later found in a broken state, he said.

    The ASI will lodge an FIR on the damages caused. “The tableaux are kept there after Republic Day and people come to view them for a period of seven to 15 days. The tableau by the Ministry of Culture, the Ram Mandir tableau…most of the other tableaux have been tampered with too. This is unfortunate,” said Patel.

    One more farmers union calls off protest  

    BKU (Lok Shakti) chief Sheoraj Singh on Thursday said  that the protest has been called off. BKU spokesperson Shailesh Kumar Giri said, “The protest has been called off,” He farmers’ union had been camping at the Dalit Prerna Sthal since December 2, demanding withdrawal of the three new farm laws, legalisation of minimum support price (MSP) for crops and implementation of the recommendation of Swaminathan Committee’s report. Singh also met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.ALSO WATCH:

  • Samajwadi Party demands FIR against Delhi Police, top BJP leaders for R-Day violence

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Ram Govind Chaudhary on Thursday said instead of farmers, an FIR should be registered against the Delhi police commissioner and top BJP leaders for the violence in New Delhi on Republic Day.

    “The chaos and the unfurling of a religious flag at the Red Fort on January 26 is a conspiracy of the Delhi police, which is under the home ministry and the top leadership of the BJP, to weaken the farmers’ agitation.

    For this, the Delhi Police and the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party should be condemned.

    Instead of farmers, an FIR should be registered against the Delhi police commissioner and the BJP leaders, whose names have surfaced in connection with Deep Sidhu…,” the Samajwadi Party (SP) leader said in a statement here.

    “Even after this big conspiracy, farmers did not lose patience. It is not a minor thing. I salute the patience of the farmers and once again demand from the Centre that instead of weakening the farmers’ agitation, it should withdraw the farm laws.

    The farmers of the entire country are shocked by the conspiracy and attitude of people occupying top positions,” he added.

    The SP, under the leadership of its president Akhilesh Yadav, is and will remain in support of the ongoing farmers’ movement, Chaudhary said.

  • Ahead of Budget session, 16 Opposition parties decide to boycott President’s address to Parliament

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A day before the start of the Budget Session of Parliament, 16 Opposition parties led by the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena and the TMC on Thursday decided to boycott the President’s address to the joint sitting of both the Houses in solidarity with the farmers protesting the new farm laws.

    Announcing the decision, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the 16 Opposition parties also demanded an independent probe into the Centre’s role in the violence that shook the national capital during the farmers’ tractor parade on Republic Day.

    The Opposition parties also demanded the repeal of the three farm laws and criticised the central government for remaining unresponsive to the demands of lakhs of farmers protesting against the agri laws.

    The parties that will boycott the president’s address on Friday are the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, National Conference, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, Indian Union Muslim League, RSP, Peoples Democratic Party, MDMK, Kerala Congress (M) and the All India United Democratic Front.

    “The prime minister and the BJP government remain arrogant, adamant and undemocratic in their response.

    Shocked by this insensitivity of the government, the Opposition political parties, reaffirming the collective demand for the repeal of the anti-farmer laws and in solidarity with the Indian farmers, have decided to boycott the president’s address to both the houses of Parliament on Friday, January 29, 2021,” said a joint statement issued by various parties.

    Releasing the joint statement, senior Congress leader Azad, along, with deputy leader Anand Sharma and Congress’ chief whip in Lok Sabha K Suresh, said farmers have been collectively fighting against the three farm laws “arbitrarily imposed by the BJP government.

    The parties also said the government remains unmoved and has responded with water canons, tear gas and lathi charges on the lakhs of farmers agitating against the laws.

    Every effort has been made to discredit a legitimate mass movement through the government-sponsored disinformation campaign, they said.

    ALSO READ: Farmers’ agitation among core issues in Congress agenda in Parliament, likely to boycott President’s address

    The parties also said that though the protests and the agitation have remained peaceful, but there were some acts of violence on January 26 in the national capital, which was condemned universally and unequivocally.

    “We also express our sadness over the injuries sustained by Delhi Police personnel while handling the difficult situation.

    But, we believe that an impartial investigation will reveal the central government’s nefarious role in orchestrating those events,” the parties said in the joint statement.

    They said the new farm laws threaten the future of Indian agriculture, which sustains over 60 per cent of the country’s population, and the livelihood of crores of farmers, sharecroppers and farm labour.

    “The three farm laws are an assault on the rights of the states and violate the federal spirit of the Constitution.

    If not repealed, these Laws will effectively dismantle the edifice of national food security that rests upon – minimum support price (MSP), government procurement and public distribution system (PDS),” the statement said.

    It also alleged that the farm bills were brought without any consultations with states and farmer unions, and lacked national consensus.

    “Parliamentary scrutiny was bypassed and the laws were pushed through muzzling the Opposition, in brazen violation of Parliamentary rules, practices and conventions.

    The very constitutional validity of these laws remains in question.” Azad alleged that the Opposition has been against the manner in which the three bills were passed in Parliament and the demands of farmers not met.

    “Those responsible for the violence should be punished and taken to task.

    The government would have to take responsibility that had it not shown arrogance and taken the laws back, these incidents would not have taken place,” he said.

    “We strongly believe that the government has miserably failed in handling the farmers agitation,” the senior Congress leader said.

    He alleged that the entire rules and regulations were “thrown in the dustbin” when the farm bills were passed in the last session, as a result of which the farmers took to the streets.

    The Congress on Wednesday had held Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the violence that shook the national capital on Republic Day and said he should be sacked immediately.

    The Congress had also accused the Modi government of being a part of a concerted conspiracy to malign the farmers’ agitation by allowing some miscreants to enter the Red Fort complex and hoist a religious flag, in their bid to ensure that the farmers bury their demand for the repeal of the three new agri laws.

    President Ram Nath Kovind would address the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament on January 29 heralding the start of the Budget Session of Parliament.

  • Home Minister Amit Shah visits hospital to enquire about health of cops injured in Republic Day violence

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday visited a hospital here to enquire about the health of policemen injured in the violence that broke out during the farmers’ tractor parade in the national capital on Republic Day, officials said.

    Nearly 400 policemen were injured during the tractor parade of the farmers who have been protesting against three central farm laws at Delhi’s borders since November.

    “Meeting the injured Delhi Police personnel. We are proud of their courage and bravery,” Shah tweeted.

    Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava accompanied the home minister.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah coming out after meeting injured Police personnel at Sushruta Trauma Centre. (Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS)

    During the visit, Shah interacted with policemen and also took stock of their health progress from doctors.

    As per the plans, the home minister is visiting two hospitals — Shushrut Trauma Centre and Teerath Ram Hospital — where some of the policemen were admitted for treatment.

    Both the hospitals are located in Civil Lines area in the city.

    The Delhi Police on Wednesday had alleged that farmer leaders made inflammatory speeches and were involved in the violence during the tractor parade by agitating farmers that left 394 of its personnel injured, as it warned that no culprit will be spared.

  • Police lodge case of sedition in connection with Red Fort incidents on Republic Day

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has registered a sedition case in connection with the violence at Red Fort during a tractor parade by farmers on Republic Day, officials said on Thursday.

    According to a senior police officer, a case under section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered and the incident is being investigated.

    Earlier, the Delhi Police had named actor Deep Sidhu and gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana in an FIR lodged in connection with the Red Fort incident.

    Thousands of protesting farmers, who reached ITO from the Ghazipur border, clashed with the police.

    Many of them, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.

    They hoisted flags on the domes and placed the flagstaff at the ramparts of the national monument, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.

    The Red Fort will remain closed for visitors from January 27 to January 31, according to an order issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

    While the order does not mention the reason behind the closure, it refers to earlier orders of January 6 and January 18, whereby the iconic monument was closed from January 19 to January 22 due to a bird-flu alert.

  • Centre provoked farmers for violence to discredit anti-farm laws movement, says Shiv Sena

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: In order to discredit the sustained farmers’ movement against the farm laws, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government provoked the farmers to commit violence, the Shiv Sena alleged on Thursday.

    This comes two days after agitating farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their Kisan tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre’s three new farm laws on January 26.

    Through its mouthpiece, Saamana, the Shiv Sena said “no one will support what happened in the national capital on Republic Day.”

    Thousands of farmers have been agitating on the Singhu border for the last 60 days. Farmer leaders were saying that on January 26, they would conduct a ‘tractor parade’ in peace. But by breaking the barricades under siege by the police, the agitating farmers on their tractors entered the Delhi border and reached the Red Fort directly. The Republic Day ‘parade’ took place at Delhi’s Rajpath in the morning and the whole country was shaken by the farmers’ parade in the afternoon. There was a sudden panic in Delhi. Law and order condition was broken. Everyone is hurt by such an incident on Republic Day, it said.

    Sena attacked BJP for the violence that broke out in various parts of Delhi during a tractor rally on January 26.

    “Now, BJP has heavily come down on the agitating farmers. The programme to enter Delhi was a pre-planned program and the farmers’ movement has gone into the hands of the terrorists, according to BJP’s intelligence system. The crowd who stirred in the Red Fort was led by a young man named Deep Sidhu. It has been revealed that this Sidhu belongs to the camp of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah. BJP’s Punjab MP Sunny Deol has a close relationship with Sidhu. Farmer leaders like Rajesh Tikait say that Sidhu had been talking about revolt and separatism for the last two months by entering the crowd of farmers,” it said.

    ASO READ: Tractor parade violence and the curious case of Deep Sidhu

    “For the last 60 days, the farmers’ movement has been going on in a peaceful manner, demanding the repeal of three agricultural laws that are opposed in the interests of the country’s farmers. Despite this, there was no split in the farmer movement and the patience of the farmers was not broken. For this reason, the Central Government had to sit with folded hands. It was also said that the farmers’ movement is Khalistani. But still, the farmers remained calm,” the party added.

    According to Shiv Sena, it was the “desire of the government to discredit the movement by provoking the farmers to commit violence. If it had fulfilled its desire on January 26, then it has brought the country into disrepute.”

    “It is not right to put the responsibility of violence on farmers only. The government has done what it wanted. Its victims are farmers, policemen and young men who shed their blood,” it added.

    Sena said that if Punjab becomes turbulent again, then “it will not be good for the country.”

    “The farmers involved in the movement are from Punjab and they do not have the support of the whole country, this claim of the government is wrong. The whole country stands with Punjab,” it said.

    Commenting upon the vandalism and unfurling of the flag in Red Fort ramparts, Shiv Sena said, “The tricolour is flying over the Red Fort. BJP-backed media started shouting that agitating farmers insulted the tricolour. But the veil of lies was torn. Sidhu, who was leading the agitators on the Red Fort, has a relationship with the BJP. No one put a hand on the tricolour. A religious flag was hoisted on the second dome of the Red Fort, no one is ready to show this truth. Those who attacked the police should be apprehended and prosecuted. The government should deal strictly with those taking up the law.”

    The party stated that the three agricultural laws are not the present and future of the country.

    “Somebody has an interest in it. That is why the oppression of farmers is going on. It is not in the national interest,” it alleged.

    Nineteen people have so far been 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 SN Shrivastava said on Wednesday.

    Farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their Kisan tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre’s three new farm laws. Several public and private properties were damaged in acts of vandalism by the rioting mob.

    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.

  • Top farmers’ union leaders named in Delhi police FIR over R-Day violence

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait is among the farmer leaders who have been named in the FIR filed by Delhi Police, for the violence that broke out in various parts of the national capital during the farmers’ tractor rally on Tuesday.

    The FIR charges them for breach of No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued regarding the rally.

    “FIR by Delhi Police mentions the names of farmer leaders Darshan Pal, Rajinder Singh, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Buta Singh Burjgil and Joginder Singh Ugraha for breach of NOC issued regarding farmers’ tractor rally. FIR also mentions the name of BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait,” said Delhi Police in a statement on Wednesday.

    In Pics | After over 60 days of wait, protesting farmers enter Delhi on Republic Day amidst chaos

    This comes as farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre’s three new farm laws. Several public and private properties being damaged in acts of vandalism by the rioting mob.

    A total of 22 FIRs have been registered regarding the violence in which over 300 police personnel were injured.

    WATCH 

    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.