A day after protesters entered the ramparts of the Red Fort and hoisted flags, Union Minister and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prakash Javadekar said “India won’t tolerate the manner in which the tricolour was insulted,” ANI reported. He also condemned the violence that erupted at various sites in Delhi during the farmers’ tractor rally.
Taking a shot at Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi, Javadekar accused them of instigating the farmers.
He said when some farmer leaders had said on Tuesday that it was the final match, then the Punjab government should have monitored the tractors leaving the state and made preventive arrests of habitual criminals.
“Congress cannot escape responsibility from violence in farmers’ protest as it is in power in Punjab,” the BJP leader said.
Charging against Gandhi, Javadekar said the Congress leader was not only supporting the protest, he was instigating.
“Congress holds rallies, they instigate people to take to streets and agitation begins next day,” the Minister said.
He said Congress was desperate as it was losing elections. “Communists are in the same condition, so they are looking for new friendships in (West) Bengal,” Javadekar said.
“They want to stoke disturbance in the country anyhow,” he added.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava said they have arrested 19 and detained 50, in connection with Tuesday’s violence. They were being questioned and no culprit would be spared, he said.
