Farmers enter Delhi’s Red Fort in massive protests on India’s Republic Day

Protests of Indian farmers intensified in the capital as groups of farmers breached police barricades to enter Delhi’s historic Red Fort complex.

The agitating farmers have hoisted the Sikh Flag in the capital. The tractor march reached the Red Fort after clashing at multiple spots with police where barricades were mounted to stop the march. Some of the protesters climbed up the flagpole and put up ‘Nishaan sahib’ – a symbol of the Sikh religion.

Meanwhile, Internet services have been suspended in some parts of Delhi-NCR in view of the prevailing law and order situation.

Some protesters reached a major intersection three kilometres from where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other government leaders watched tanks and troop’s parade past and fighter jets fly overhead.

Amid reaching the Red fort and removing barricades, a protesting farmer shot dead by police in a bid to halt the rally.

Earlier, police agreed to allow the rally after several rounds of negotiations on the condition that it would not disrupt the annual Republic Day parade, which takes place in the central area of the Indian capital.

Indian farmers have been protesting for several months now against new pieces of legislation that they fear will drive their revenues down by revoking state-assured pricing safeguards.

One of the main farmer committee’s member said the protesters have enough supplies to keep their Delhi camps going for a year if necessary, and that there was “massive popular support” for the campaign.