image captionTear gas was fired at protesters as police tried to reclaim the streets
The Indian government is deploying paramilitary reinforcements in the capital, Delhi, after a day of violent protests by striking farmers.
Thousands of farmers fought with police as a demonstration against controversial new agricultural laws descended into chaos.
One protester died and more than 80 police officers were injured.
Some farmers stormed Delhi’s historic Red Fort and occupied the ramparts until police drove them out.
The violence overshadowed the city’s annual Republic Day celebrations.
As night fell, the situation was reported to be tense with authorities cutting internet and phone connections in some of the worst-hit areas.
The government says the agricultural reforms will liberalise the sector, but farmers say they will be poorer as a result.
Tens of thousands of them have been striking on the outskirts of Delhi since November, demanding that the laws be repealed. Last week they rejected a government offer to put the laws on hold.
The government had opposed the planned rally by farmers but police allowed it on the condition that it would not interrupt the Republic Day parade in central Delhi.
Republic Day is a national holiday that marks the anniversary of India officially adopting its constitution on 26 January 1950.
Farmers were given specific routes for the tractor rally, which would largely be confined to the outskirts.
media captionIndia police fire tear gas as farmers break through barricades
But shortly after the parade came to a close, convoys of tractors broke through police barricades and converged on the city centre. One group of protesters burst through security at the historic Red Fort where they clambered on to the walls and domes of the fortress, even hoisting flags alongside the national flag.
By Tuesday afternoon, police said they had removed protesters from the complex.
Some of the most violent clashes took place near the ITO metro station junction – on the route to central Delhi. Footage showed farmers attacking police with sticks and metal bars while officers used tear gas and batons.
Police said one protester died at the junction when his tractor overturned after hitting a barricade.
The violence ebbed and flowed throughout the day. Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah ordered 15 companies of paramilitaries to boost security in the capital, officials said. Another five companies are on standby, an unnamed official told ANI news agency.
image captionProtesters broke through security at the Red Fort
image copyrightGetty Images
image captionFarmers say the government’s reforms will leave them worse off
Police said in a statement that they had acted after farmers broke conditions for the rally and took “the path of violence and destruction”.
But one farmers’ union leader accused the police of provoking the violence.
“When you attack a peaceful protest, then difficulties for the government will surely increase,” Kawalpreet Singh Pannu told AFP news agency.
“This won’t stop here. Our movement and message have only become stronger.”
- The huge citadel, with its distinctive red sandstone walls, was built in the early 17th Century by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and was the seat of Mughal rule until 1857, when India began to be governed by the British
- India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the national flag from the fort on 16 August 1947 – a day after independence from Britain was declared
- The fort was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2007
The laws loosen rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm produce which have protected India’s farmers from the free market for decades.
Farmers fear that the new laws will threaten decades-old concessions – such as assured prices – and weaken their bargaining power, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by private companies.
While Mr Modi has defended them, the laws have been likened to a “death warrant” by farmer groups.
Most economists and experts agree that Indian agriculture desperately needs reform. But critics of the government say it failed to consult farmers before passing the laws.read more
