Delhi to withdraw R-Day violence, 16 other cases filed during farmers' stir

The Delhi government has given its approval to withdraw 17 cases, including one involving the violence on Republic Day last year, registered here during the anti-farm law protests, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

He said the file related to the cases was sent by Lt Governor Anil Baijal's Office to Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain on January 31.

It was approved by Jain and sent to CM office on February 25. The CMO sent the file to LG office on February 28 and the LG approved it on the same day, the officer said.

The Delhi Police had identified 17 out of the 54 cases registered during November 2020 to December 2021 for withdrawal.

One of the cases is related to about 200-300 protesters and 25 tractors reaching the Red Fort and entering its premises through the Lahori Gate, resulting in damage to ticket counters, doorframe metal detector and baggage scanners at the monument.

Another case was registered at the Jyoti Nagar police station in northeast Delhi against protesting farmers entering Delhi from the side of UP's Loni border, riding 150-175 tractors and allegedly obstructing policemen from discharging their duty and assaulting them.

The protesting farmers in convoys of tractors had entered the national capital on Republic Day last year leading to violence and vandalism on the roads as well as at the Red Fort situated in the walled city.

Most of the cases were registered for violation of COVID-19 protocols and guidelines by the protesters during their over one-year-long anti-farm law stir at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders of Delhi.

The protesters, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, laid siege at Delhi borders in November 2020 demanding that the Centre withdraw the three farm laws. The protest ended in December 2021 after the Modi government withdrawing the farm laws.

The Centre had also agreed to the demand of the agitating farmers, protesting under the umbrella organisation -- Samyukta Kisan Morcha -- for the withdrawal of cases registered against the them between November 2020 to December 2021.

In a letter, the Centre on December 9, 2021 had stated that it was agreed to immediately withdraw cases against the protesters and their supporters registered during the farmers stir.

Following this, the SKM had lifted siege on the border points of national capital and elsewhere in Haryana and Punjab on December 11, 2021.