FIR Against Rakesh Tikait Over Delhi Violence, As Video Goes Viral Of Him Telling Farmers To Be Armed

The Delhi Police has named Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait beside other farmer leaders in the FIR over the violence that broke out in various parts of the national capital during the farmers' tractor rally on Tuesday (26 January).

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

After yesterday’s violence in the capital, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait had blamed “anti-social elements”. He claimed that it was due to the Delhi Police’s ‘actions’ that some antisocial elements entered the parade and caused the violence.

However, a video has gone viral on social media which may hint that the violence might have been pre-planned. In the video, farmer leader Tikait can be heard as telling the protesting farmers that the government is playing hardball (“zyada kaidi pad rahi hai sarkar”) and the farmers need to be armed with sticks (“lathi-danda”) in the rally.

On the other hand, regarding yesterday’s (26 January) violence the Delhi Police has registered 22 FIRs till now in various districts under sections of rioting, damage to public property and assault on public servants with deadly weapons.

Police have now begun investigation to analyze the video footage available to identify the violent protesters who damaged public property and attacked the Delhi Police personnel. A total of 86 policemen were injured in the violence as farmers entered into Delhi with their tractors ahead of the scheduled time agreed with the police forces of Delhi, Haryana and UP.

Meanwhile, the DCP North also visited the injured police personnel in the hospital.

Nearly 200 protesters have been detained so far. Delhi Police Commissioner S.N. Shrivastava has also held a high-level meeting with senior police officers to take a stock of the situation and discuss the future course of action.