A lawyer on Wednesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking judicial inquiry into the violence that took place during the farmers’ Republic Day tractor rally, Live Law reported.
Vishal Tiwari urged the court to set up a commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, and comprising of two former High Court judges to collect facts and evidence related to the clashes and submit a report within a set time frame.
Tiwari said in his petition that the violence during the rally caused damage to public property and left many injured. “The Internet services were interrupted as government ordered the operators to suspend the same,” he added. “In the present time the Internet services are very essential to carry out the work in different professions especially in Advocacy as the courts and our Supreme Court of India is functioning online”.
The petitioner urged the court to consider three questions. “Are farmers responsible for breaking the conditions of tractor march and committing violence?” he asked. “Or, is there some other force which wants to end the peaceful farmer protest by proving them wrong? Or, are there some other forces or organization which in the shade of farmer protest wants to fulfil its ambitions and goals?”
Also read: Farm law protests: Farmers postpone Parliament march on Budget day after tractor rally violence
Vineet Jindal, another lawyer, sought the formation of an independent inquiry committee in a separate plea. He said that quick action must be taken against all the culprits.
Dramatic scenes unfolded in Delhi on Tuesday as farmers protesting against the agricultural laws clashed with the police, who used tear gas and batons to control them. One protestor was killed in the clashes in Delhi’s ITO area. The Delhi Police said 394 of its officers had been injured across the city.
Prominent farmer unions and leaders distanced themselves from the violence, and blamed it on certain “anti social elements”.
However, several farmer leaders, including Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav and Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Haryana unit President Gurnam Singh Chaduni, were named in one of the first information reports filed by the police. As many as 19 people have been arrested for the violence.
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