308 Twitter handles from Pakistan creating confusion over tractor march: Police

The Delhi Police on Sunday said 308 Twitter handles have been generated to create confusion over the tractor rally proposed by protesting farmers on Republic Day. “Through intelligence and various other agencies, we have continuously been getting inputs regarding a threat to create disturbance in the tractor rally. 308 Twitter handles have been generated from Pakistan to create confusion,” Dependra Pathak, Special CP, Intelligence, Delhi Police said.

Giving details of these Twitter handles, the special commissioner said all these handles have been generated in Pakistan between January 13 and January 18.

The proposed Republic Day tractor march which got formal permission on Sunday from Delhi Police has been the eye of controversy for the past few days as Centre had already reported ‘Khalistani infiltration’ in the protests and moved the Supreme Court, which in turn asked Delhi Police to take the final call on allowing the tractor march. Initially, the Delhi Police didn’t allow farmers to enter the Capital. Instead, it offered an alternative route at the Kundli border. But after several rounds of discussions held between farmers’ representatives and Delhi Police officials, it has now been agreed that farmers will be allowed to enter the Capital under certain terms and conditions.

Formal permission received from police for Jan 26 tractor rally: Yogendra Yadav

Now it has been decided that the tractor rally will enter Delhi from Tiri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders. From Singhu, the march will pass through Kanjhawala, Bawana, Auchandi border, KMP Expressway and then return to Singhu, police said.

The protesting farmers have been planning this tractor march for a long time and several tractors from Punjab have joined the protest sites in the past few days for their Republic Day parade where they plan to showcase tractors from different states as it happens in Republic Day parade. Farmers’ union leaders have promised that the march will be peaceful and the Delhi Police have also placed trust on them that the tractors will go back to the protest sites after their march, without proceeding further into the Capital.

While several Union ministers in past claimed that farmers are being instigated from outside, early this month, the Centre told the Supreme Court that it was informed about Khalistani infiltration in the protests. It also mentioned the name of the banned organisation ‘Sikhs for Justice’ as being part of this ongoing protest.

This is the first time, Delhi Police officially talked about outside links, specifically, Twitter handles having roots in Pakistan attempting to create disruption.