The Home Ministry has also ordered Delhi Police to ask the accused farmer leaders to submit their passports.

The farmer leaders have been asked why action should not be taken against them when they have gone against their agreement with Delhi Police and were in talks with them for days. The farmer leaders have been asked to reply within three days.

Delhi Police has been asked to serve notices to more than 20 farmer leaders, including Yogendra Yadav Baldev Singh Sirsa and Rajewal. The farmer leaders have been asked to answer within three days the reasons behind the protesters flouting rules and going against the agreed route of the tractor rally.

A day after violence during the tractor parade, the Delhi Police has named 37 farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav and Medha Patkar, in an FIR that mentioned charges of rioting, criminal conspiracy and attempt to murder among others.

The action against the farmer leaders came as Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava alleged that several of them made inflammatory speeches and were involved in the violence.

Police has also said that the role of farmer leaders will be investigated in connection with the violence that left 394 security personnel injured and a protestor dead. So far 25 FIRs have been filed over the Republic Day rampage.

According to the FIR registered at Samaypur Badli police station against unknown persons, the protestors robbed the official pistol with 10 rounds of ammunition along with two tear gas guns during the violence.

The farmer leaders named in the FIR include Medha Patkar, Yogendra Yadav, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chanduni, Rakesh Tikait, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Satnam Singh Pannu, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Surjeet Singh Phool, Jagjeet Singh Dalewal, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Harinder Singh Lakhoval.

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While the order does not mention the reason behind the closure, it refers to earlier orders of January 6 and January 18 whereby the iconic monument was closed from January 19 to January 22 due to a bird flu alert.

The monument was also shut from January 22 to January 26 due to the Republic Day celebrations. However, it was supposed to be open for visitors on January 27, but it did not.

It is believed that this time the closure time will be utilised to ascertain any damage that might have been caused to the iconic monument when it was overrun by protesters on January 26.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel toured the Red Fort on Wednesday to take stock of the situation. He has sought a report on the incident from the ASI.

Pictures and videos showing sections of the Red Fort complex, including the metal detector gate and ticket counter, vandalized surfaced on social media in the aftermath of the Republic Day violence.

There is a total of 173 monuments in Delhi protected under the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI). These included Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar – all three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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The doodle, illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar, focused on the country’s vibrant cultures, regional diversity, and architecture.

On this day 72 years ago, India’s Constitution came into effect and it officially became a sovereign Republic. In his colorful artwork, Fondekar featured musical instruments like the dholak (a two-headed hand drum) and the sitar (a long-necked stringed instrument), the people of India, cricket and dance, among other elements.

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison wishes India on the 72nd Republic Day. “What wonderful coincidence it’s of our history that Jan 26 Australia Day, is India’s #RepublicDay, a national day shared b/w friends. Australia-India share more than national day. We pursue same ideals-democracy, freedom, liberty, diversity, enterprise, opportunity,” he said.

“Our history is long and our connections are many. With each year, we become even closer. The global pandemic has not divided us but has made us appreciate these shared ideals even more,” Morrison added.

In his video message to celebrate the birth of an “extraordinary Constitution” that established India “as the biggest sovereign democracy in the world”, the UK PM reiterated his plan to visit India in the coming months. “I was hugely looking forward to joining you for this important occasion at the kind invitation of my friend Prime Minister Modi, alas our common struggle against COVID has kept me in London,” said Johnson.

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Amid celebration for 72nd Republic Day across the country, farmers allowed to hold their tractor rally- “Kissan Parade”- in Delhi after the annual event at the iconic Rajpath. However, protestors, force their way into the city, much ahead of the time they were granted permission by Delhi police for their tractor parade.

The Delhi Police on Monday gave a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the protesting farmer unions for their proposed Republic Day tractor parade with 37 conditions, including capping the number of participants and allocating a fixed time slot.

Unprecedented visuals showed chaos unfolding at the Singhu border, which divides Delhi and Haryana and has been the epicenter of protests against the farm laws that began in late November. More than 5,000 protesters had gathered at the Singhu border.

In west Delhi near the Tikri border, farmers’ leaders asked the protesters to maintain calm after the march began at around 9 AM. “Our rally will be peaceful and we will stick to the routes assigned,” a leader said to news media.

The farm leaders have claimed that the Delhi police are stopping them from moving towards the route the farmers and police earlier agreed upon. “We’ve to move towards Ring Road but the police are stopping us. We’ve given them 45 mins to speak to their seniors. We’re carrying out a peaceful parade. The route they are asking us to follow wasn’t agreed upon,” Satnam Singh Pannu, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee at Singhu Border said to ANI.

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The seven-member Coordination Committee of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha made the announcement. Balbir Singh Rajewal, President of Bhartiya Kisan Union, Punjab (Rajeal Group) and Krantikari Kisan Union President Darshan Pal said, “We have given a call for a tractor-trolley parade into Delhi from the borders of the national capital on January 26. This tractor parade with national flag will be called ‘farmers republic parade’ and will take place after the official parade.”

Six rounds of talks have taken place between the Indian government and the farmer’s union so far. While the farmers and central government have reached a consensus on issues related to the environment and electricity act, which the farmers call ‘minor’ issues. The deadlock continued on the two main demands, legal assurance on Minimum Support Price(MSP) and completely repealing the three farm laws. The next round of talk will take place on January 4.

Ironically, more than 850 faculty members of several educational institutions across the country of various educational institutions across the country have come forward with a signature campaign in support of three federal farm laws, against which thousands of farmers are protesting on borders of the national capital over a month.

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UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, “I’m pleased that PM Boris Johnson has invited PM Modi to join the UK-hosted G7 summit next year.

UK PM Johnson has also accepted the very generous invitation to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations in January, which is a great honour.”

The UK foreign secretary made the announcement on Tuesday during a 3-day visit to India, which is also being seen as a means to lay the ground for Boris Johnson’s upcoming visit in January.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday held talks with the British Foreign Secretary to expand cooperation in a range of sectors such as trade, defence, education, environment and health.

Raab’s three-day visit to India from December 14-17 comes at a time the UK is holding complex negotiations with the European Union on reaching a post-Brexit trade deal.

On December 14, the Ministry of External Affairs said Raab’s visit will pave the way for further strengthening of the partnership across the trade, defence, climate, migration and mobility, education and health sectors in the post-Covid, post-Brexit context.

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