MillenniumPost
Delhi

Punjab Youth Cong members set tractor ablaze on Rajpath

New Delhi: More than a dozen members of the Punjab Youth Congress on Monday set ablaze a tractor at Rajpath near India Gate in the heart of Lutyens' Delhi - a high-security zone - as part of their protest against the recently passed controversial farm legislation that several opposition parties have dubbed as 'anti-farmer'.

Six people, five from Mohali in Punjab and one from Pathankot, have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said, adding that an FIR had been registered under non-bailable sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, sections of the Disaster Management Act, Epidemic Diseases Act and other sections of the IPC. The arrested accused have been identified as Om Prakash, Manjot Singh (36), Raman Deep Singh Sindhu (28), Rahul (23), Sahib (28) and Sumit (28).

And as the protests raged on, the Shiromani Akali Dal, after having severed ties with the BJP, on Monday, asked party leaders to resign from posts they hold in Delhi's civic bodies, according to an announcement by the Delhi unit chief Harmeet Singh Kalka, who added that SAD councillor Manpreet Kaur had already resigned from the post of deputy chairperson of the Licencing and Tehbazari Committee of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).

The police said that early morning at around 7:15 am, some 15 to 20 people carrying a tractor in their vehicle came to the Man Singh Crossing at Rajpath. "They off-loaded the tractor and tried to set it ablaze and claimed to be members of Youth Congress Punjab," police said, adding that further legal action will be taken after ascertaining their affiliation. An Innova car has also been taken into custody, they said.

Fire officials said they were informed about the incident at 7:42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot, following which the fire was doused and that tractor seized.

IYC media in-charge Rao said activists of its Punjab unit demonstrated at the India Gate on the occasion of the birth anniversary of revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

The Youth Congress, in a Twitter post, said, "Our country thrives on the blood and sweat of our farmers. From fighting the British to feeding the entire nation, our farmers are the nation's backbone. On Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary Youth Congress set ablaze a tractor in protest against the govt's anti-farmer bills".

On Friday, farmers staged a protest at the Noida-Delhi border, disrupting traffic movement, in support of their opposition to the recently passed farm bills that were signed into laws by President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday. Meanwhile, Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar and other party leaders in the city were detained by police during their protest against the farm Bills at Rajghat here. Kumar said a protest march from Rajghat to Raj Niwas was also scheduled but police detained party leaders and workers before it could begin.

Next Story
Share it