'Farmers have right to protest but none can take law into hands'
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 Nov, 2021 11:56 AM
New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Wednesday said the farmers have democratic right to protest but no one can be allowed to take law into his hands.
"The farmers' agitation has been going on for a long time. Since I have joined [as Commissioner], farmers have been allowed to protest at Jantar Mantar. The farmers have democratic right to protest but no one can be allowed to take law into their hands," the Commissioner said during an event at the Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) here.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently announced the repeal of three controversial farm laws after a year of protests. Thousands of farmers are still camping at Delhi's borders and several died from heat, cold and Covid.
Commissioner Asthana said that Delhi Police is committed to maintain law and order in the city.
Speaking on the cases registered against farmers for the January 26 violent protests, Asthana informed that some cases have been registered against the farmers. "We have investigated and some have been chargesheeted," he added.
Meanwhile, the union cabinet cleared 'The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021' on Wednesday that will repeal the three contentious farm laws, as announced by the Prime Minister on November 19.
9 persons, including four farmers, were killed in the violence that had erupted during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli will hear the matter on Thursday. The matter has been listed as 'violence in Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) leading to loss of life'.
Canadian MP Tim S. Uppal said he was shocked to learn about the brazen attack on protesting farmers. Another Canadian MP Ruby Sahota said she was heartbroken to learn about the violence directed at protesting farmers.
The demand made by citizens primarily mirrored their right to clean air and the right to breathe, underlining the reality that Punjab is home to some of India's most polluted towns, including Mandi Gobindgarh, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna, and Patiala.
The case was assigned to the division bench of Justices A.G. Masih and Ashok Kumar Verma. Earlier, the case was being heard by the bench of Justices Rajan Gupta and Ajay Tewari but the latter recused himself from hearing the case on September 1.
Furnishing details about the incident, Additional DCP-2 Nishant Gupta told IANS that they had received information about a firing incident in the northeast Delhi area on October 1.
The activists of Punjab Congress will walk towards Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh if Priyanka Gandhi is not released and the Union Minister's son accused of murder not arrested, said state party President Navjot Sidhu on Tuesday.
