New Delhi: One farmer died after a speeding tractor overturned near the ITO junction in central Delhi, the police said Tuesday. However, some farmers at the site – near the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg – claimed he was killed in police firing and began a sit-in protest.
The farmer has been identified as Navdeep Singh Hundal, 26, from Uttarakhand’s Bajpur area. Two other farmers, Angrez Singh and his son from a village in Uttarakhand’s Rudrapur, said Singh had recently been married.
“This boy.. his name is Navneet Singh. He was driving the tractor… he was injured by a police bullet and died on the spot,” Angrez Singh said.
Late in the afternoon farmers finally allowed Navdeep Singh’s body to be removed.
The tractor that overturned was part of a group from the Ghazipur border that had taken a detour from the agreed upon route for today’s rally, a senior police officer said to to the Indian media out let..
The ITO area saw fierce clashes between farmers and police. A police bus was also hijacked and the cops resorted to lathi charges and firing tear gas shells to control the situation.
In the evening a tense stand-off ensued between a group of protesters and a large contingent of security forces, including police, CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and RAF (Rapid Action Force).
Earlier in the day two farmers were injured after another tractor – which was also speeding – overturned near the Chilla border that separates Delhi and Noida.
Unprecedented scenes of violence broke out across parts of the national capital on Tuesday – as the country celebrated its 72nd Republic Day – as a section of farmers protesting the centre’s agriculture laws disregarded last night’s agreement with the police and stormed into the city.
Internet services have been suspended and Metro services shut down in parts of the city, and Home Minister Amit Shah met with senior security and police officers to review the situation.
