The%20chaos%20that%20played%20out%20on%20the%20streets%20of%20central%20Delhi%2C%20particularly%20at%20the%20historic%20Red%20Fort%2C%20on%20the%20Republic%20Day%20is%20definitely%20bad%20optics.

It%20is%20more%20so%20for%20a%20Union%20government%20that%20swears%20by%20its%20record%20in%20handling%20internal%20security%20challenges.

But%20there%20is%20a%20sense%20of%20deep%20relief%20in%20the%20top%20echelons%20of%20the%20Modi%20government%20and%20the%20BJP%20that%20a%20repeat%20of%20the%20nature%20of%20the%20Jallianwala%20Bagh%20was%20averted%20in%20the%20Capital.

It%20was%20achieved%20by%20not%20falling%20into%20the%20trap%20set%20by%20backers%20of%20the%20farmers%20agitation.

Authorities%20were%20under%20instruction%20to%20handle%20them%20with%20rather%20kid%20gloves%20as%20the%20government%20did%20not%20want%20an%20impression%20that%20it%20was%20against%20the%20farmers%20and%20their%20rights%20to%20protest.

%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/beyond-bharat-bandh-and-next-round-of-talks-government-farm-leaders-face-a-cliff-hanger%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%7C%20Beyond%20Bharat%20Bandh%20and%20next%20round%20of%20talks%2C%20government%20%26amp%3B%20farmer%20leaders%20face%20a%20cliff%20hanger%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

That%20was%20also%20the%20reason%20why%20the%20Delhi%20police%20was%20asked%20to%20allow%20a%20%u201Cmarch%u201D%20by%20driving%20on%205%2C000%20tractors%20on%20three%20permitted%20routes%2C%20which%20was%20mutually%20agreed%20upon%20after%20five%20rounds%20of%20talks%20with%20the%20farmers%20groups.

But%2C%20as%20not%20wholly%20unexpected%2C%20some%20of%20these%20groups%20broke%20cordons%20and%20chose%20to%20drive%20straight%20into%20central%20Delhi%20with%20the%20predetermined%20purpose%20of%20invading%20the%20Red%20Fort%20and%20unfurling%20the%20%u201CNishan%20Sahib%u201D%20flag.

It%20was%20supposed%20to%20be%20a%20symbolic%20act%20that%20recalls%20the%201783%20capture%20of%20Delhi%20by%20the%20Sikh%20army%20led%20by%20Baghel%20Singh%2C%20Jassa%20Singh%20Ahluwalia%20and%20Jassa%20Singh%20Ramgarhia%20after%20defeating%20the%20Mughal%20army.

Of%20course%2C%20the%20Delhi%20police%u2019s%20decision%20to%20show%20extreme%20restraint%20despite%20grave%20provocation%20came%20at%20a%20heavy%20cost.

%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/pm-modi-wont-rescind-farm-bills-wants-bjp-to-weather-storm%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%7C%20Helps%2080%25%20farmers%2C%20saves%20Rs%203%2C000%20cr%20paid%20to%20middlemen%3A%20Why%20Modi%20govt%20is%20not%20keen%20on%20repealing%20law%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

A%20number%20of%20policemen%20had%20to%20bear%20the%20brunt%20of%20physical%20assaults%20and%20abuse%20at%20the%20hands%20of%20those%20who%20drove%20in%20tractors%20and%20on%20horses%2C%20wielding%20steel%20rods%20and%20swords.%20%26nbsp%3B

There%20is%20definitely%20anger%20raging%20among%20the%20police%20ranks%20as%20nearly%20400%20of%20their%20colleagues%20were%20injured%2C%20some%20of%20them%20seriously%2C%20in%20the%20mayhem.

Delhi%20police%20commissioner%20S%20N%20Shrivastav%u2019s%20promise%20to%20take%20firm%20action%20on%20all%20those%20behind%20the%20chaos%20underscored%20this%20aspect.%20He%20has%20made%20it%20clear%20that%20even%20the%20leaders%20of%20the%20farmer%20groups%20would%20not%20be%20spared%20for%20a%20suspected%20conspiracy%20as%20evidence%20against%20them%20is%20gathered.

The%20BJP%20is%20acutely%20aware%20that%20violence%20in%20the%20name%20of%20farmers%20agitation%20has%20left%20many%20people%20very%20disturbed.

The%20Congress%20and%20the%20Left%2C%20which%20backed%20the%20farmer%20groups%20to%20the%20hilt%2C%20are%20disappointed%20that%20the%20Centre%20succeeded%20in%20avoiding%20a%20deadly%20trap.%20A%20single%20bullet%20fired%20by%20police%20against%20the%20violent%20farmer%20groups%20would%20have%20dented%20Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%u2019s%20image%2C%20say%20BJP%20leaders.

On%20the%20other%20hand%2C%20the%20opposition%20is%20seen%20as%20backing%20such%20an%20agitation%20by%20proxy.%20The%20incidents%20of%20January%2026%20has%20also%20put%20a%20question%20mark%20on%20their%20role%20and%20also%20led%20to%20complete%20disarray%20among%20the%20agitating%20groups%2C%20with%20the%20two%20kisan%20bodies%20deciding%20to%20leave%20the%20stir.%20A%20march%20to%20Parliament%20on%20the%20day%20of%20the%20Budget%20on%20February%201%20is%20set%20to%20be%20abandoned.

The%20ruling%20party%u2019s%20assessment%20is%20that%2C%20after%20more%20than%2060%20days%20of%20stand-off%20on%20the%20borders%20of%20Delhi%20and%20ten%20rounds%20of%20the%20talks%20with%20the%20government%2C%20the%20Republic%20Day%20violence%20has%20damaged%20the%20cause%20of%20intransigent%20farmers.%20%26nbsp%3B

Senior%20BJP%20leaders%20do%20not%20think%20that%20the%20charge%20levelled%20by%20the%20opposition%20leaders%20that%20it%20allowed%20the%20mayhem%20using%20a%20mole%20to%20bring%20a%20bad%20name%20to%20the%20farmers%20agitation%20will%20stick.%20%26nbsp%3B

They%20ask%20what%20would%20have%20been%20the%20consequence%20if%20police%20had%20retaliated%20with%20full%20force.%20Then%20the%20government%20would%20have%20been%20accused%20of%20brutally%20repressing%20the%20farmers%20and%20enacting%20another%20%22Jallianwala%20Bagh.%u201D

As%20the%20ruling%20party%20leaders%20see%20it%2C%20the%20farmer%20groups%20cannot%20escape%20blame%20by%20simply%20saying%20that%2C%20one%20of%20the%20farmer%20leaders%2C%20Deep%20Sidhu%2C%20was%20behind%20the%20incidents%20because%20of%20his%20past%20association%20with%20actor%20Sunny%20Deol%20who%20is%20now%20a%20BJP%20MP.

As%20a%20BJP%20leader%20said%2C%20they%20wanted%20a%20tractor%20rally%20to%20show%20their%20defiance%20of%20the%20Central%20government.%20They%20assured%20Delhi%20police%20that%20they%20will%20go%20by%20the%20routes%20given%20to%20them.%20But%20that%20did%20not%20happen.%20Not%20only%20did%20the%20farmer%20leaders%20make%20any%20attempt%20to%20stop%20their%20people%20from%20violating%20the%20agreement%20with%20police%20but%20simply%20washed%20off%20their%20hands%20when%20violence%20started.

In%20fact%2C%20the%20farmer%20leaders%20lost%20direction%20ever%20since%20they%20rejected%20the%20Centre%u2019s%20offer%20to%20put%20the%20three%20controversial%20farm%20laws%20on%20hold%20for%2018%20months.%20They%20have%20been%20on%20a%20back%20foot%20since%20then%20as%20they%20failed%20to%20take%20advantage%20of%20the%20concessions%20offered%20by%20the%20Centre%20during%20several%20rounds%20of%20discussions.%20They%20wanted%20nothing%20short%20of%20a%20repeal%20of%20the%20three%20laws.

Some%20old%20and%20experienced%20farmer%20leaders%2C%20who%20had%20been%20attending%20the%20talks%2C%20wanted%20the%20Centre%u2019s%20offer%20to%20suspend%20the%20laws%20be%20accepted.%20They%20tried%20to%20convince%20other%20leaders%20that%2C%20once%20the%20laws%20were%20suspended%2C%20it%20would%20be%20difficult%20for%20the%20government%20to%20freshly%20implement%20them%20again.

However%2C%20some%20influential%20farmer%20leaders%20from%20Punjab%2C%20believed%20that%20the%20government%20was%20under%20pressure%20because%20of%20their%20plans%20for%20a%20tractor%20march%20on%20January%2026%2C%20and%20if%20the%20leaders%20insisted%20on%20repeal%2C%20the%20government%20would%20accept%20their%20demand%20finally.

However%2C%20the%20most%20worrying%20part%20of%20all%20is%20that%20there%20are%20political%20groups%20behind%20the%20farmer%20leaders.%20These%20groups%20are%20blindly%20opposed%20to%20Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%2C%20and%20this%20appears%20to%20be%20their%20single%20point%20agenda.%20These%20groups%20have%20realised%20that%20it%20is%20difficult%20to%20defeat%20the%20BJP%20in%20electoral%20politics%20and%20mass%20agitation%20is%20the%20only%20way%20to%20create%20a%20crisis%20for%20the%20Modi%20government%2C%20according%20to%20the%20BJP%20insiders.

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