Punjab CM slams Delhi Police over lookout notice against farm leaders, says 'Farmers not Nirav Modi'

As the Delhi Police on Thursday issued lookout notices against several farmer leaders named in an FIR in connection with the violence during the farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has tweeted saying Delhi Police should not use January 26 violence "as an excuse to harass genuine farm leaders".

Taking action over the violent farmers' agitation on January 26, Delhi Police has issued lookout notices against farmer leaders named in the FIR filed in connection with the case and invoked sedition charges in a case of the Red Fort incident as the force intensified its investigation.

Police have named 37 farmer leaders, including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav and Medha Patkar, in the FIR that mentioned charges of attempt to murder, rioting and criminal conspiracy.

Reacting to this, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has tweeted, "Delhi Police should not use the violence on 26th as an



excuse to harass genuine farm leaders in order to weaken the agitation".

"Lookout notices against them must be withdrawn, They’re not corporate raiders like Vijay Mallya or Nirav Modi, but small farmers. Where will they flee?" CM Amarinder Singh further said in the tweet.

The farmers' protest, which had been going peacefully for the past two months, turned violent on January 26 as thousands of agitating farmers forced their way into Delhi from border areas on tractors and clashed with the police.

Thousands of protesting farmers, who reached ITO from the Ghazipur border, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument and hoisted a religious flag.

The violent protest left nearly 400 police personnel injured, public property damaged and one protesting farmers dead.

Sources said that around nine crack teams have been formed to locate all the culprits, even as there was no official confirmation from the police yet.