Leaders across the opposition spectrum on Tuesday condemned the violence in the national capital. The opposition attacked the government for allowing the situation to get out of control and letting it worsen. BJP spokesperson Dr. Sambit Patra came down hard and strong on farmers in one of his tweets. The Independent Director of ONGC tweeted saying “those we had been calling annadata (food-providers) for so many days have turned out to be extremists.” 

 Opposition party congress however remained cautious in its statement and tweeted saying how “The Prime Minister and the BJP government will have to ponder if it is the right approach to call farmers for 10 rounds of talks and neither accept their demands nor take any concrete measures to resolve the deadlock.” 

Congress also urged Prime Minister Modi to “shed his arrogance and tread the path of ‘rajdharma’ (good governance)” on the occasion of the 72nd Indian Republic Day.  

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party remained critical of the Centre for allowing the whole situation to deteriorate to an extent where a man had to die and hundreds of people from both sides succumbed to injuries. 

Aam Aadmi Party issued a statement regarding the violence at the national capital which said: “We strongly condemn the violence seen in today’s protest. It is regrettable that the Central govt allowed the situation to deteriorate to such an extent. The movement has been peaceful for the last two months.” 

Meanwhile, Mamta Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister also slammed the government and claimed that the government’s “insensitive attitude” and indifference is to be blamed for the violence that ensued in Delhi. Mamta Banerjee asked the Centre to repeal the three farm laws. Banerjee in her tweets claimed that the three new farm laws are ‘draconian’.   

Senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor stated how he has been in the support of farmers in their peaceful protests, but the act of hoisting a religious flag on Red Fort’s ramparts was “the most unfortunate”. Tharoor also declared that on Republic Day only the sacred tricolour should be hoisted on the Red Fort.  

In another tweet, Tharoor asserted on the notion of a united India. Tharoor said how “it is not jawan against the kisan”, nor is it left wing vs right wing, but is an Indian against India. The Senior Congress leader wrote, “On a day we shouldn’t have witnessed what we had to, let’s remember: United we stand, divided we fall.” 

These strong condemnations by political parties came after violence ensued at the national capital when the tractor parade that was called out by the farmer’s union went berserk. The section of the farm unions deviated from the agreed route that was chalked out by Delhi Police. 

The agitated farmers broke barriers, clashed with the Delhi Police and were met with lathi charges and tear gas cannon. The flashpoint of the incident emerged when the farmers entered the iconic Red Fort, vandalized and even hoisted a religious flag on the fort’s rampart.