Union Minister Prahlad Patel visits Red Fort to assess ‘damage’

He was apprised by security personnel about the damage done to the structure and the ticket counters and how the protesters had barged into the monument on Tuesday.

New Delhi: A day after the violence and chaos at the Red Fort during the ‘tractor rally’ by farmers, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel visited the 17th century monument on Wednesday afternoon to assess the “damage”.

The Minister, in charge of Culture and Tourism Ministry, visited the spots within the premises where a section of protesters had indulged in vandalism. He was accompanied by senior Delhi Police officers and other officials.

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He was apprised by security personnel about the damage done to the structure and the ticket counters and how the protesters had barged into the monument on Tuesday.

Glass panes of structures at the spot as well as police vehicles were also damaged by a section of agitators, who clearly outnumbered security personnel deployed at the Red Fort. Security personnel were hit with sticks and iron rods.

On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of farmers riding tractors and motor cycles and on foot had swarmed the Red Fort, climbed up to its ramparts while waving the tricolour, farmer union flags and pennants with religious symbols.

A youth had climbed up a flagpole and hoisting a pennant and a farmer union flag. Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu had done a Facebook Live from the ramparts of the hoisting.

The farmer unions have since distanced themselves from Sidhu, who was summoned by the National Investigation Agency in connection with the Sikh for Justice case registered on December 15 last year.