R-DAY CLASHES: MAN SEEN WITH SWORDS AT RED FORT ARRESTED

NEW DELHI: A 30-year-old man allegedly seen swinging swords with the intent of “motivating” and “energising” protesters at Red Fort during the violence on Republic Day has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.

Maninder Singh, who runs a sword training school near his home in Swaroop Nagar in northwest Delhi and works as a car AC mechanic, was arrested around 7.45 pm on Tuesday near the C D block bus stop in nearby Pitampura, police said.

“Singh was seen in a video swinging two swords at Red Fort with the intent of motivating or radicalising and energising violent anti-national elements indulging in brutal assault and attacking police persons on duty with swords, ‘khandas’, iron rods, axes, ‘barsaas’, sticks etc and damaging the historical Red Fort on Republic Day,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said in a statement.

Over 120 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence across Delhi on January 26, officials said.

Clashes broke out between protesters and police during the tractor parade called by farmer unions to highlight their demand for a rollback of the Centre’s three farm laws. Many protesters reached the Red Fort on tractors.

Singh was “radicalised” by seeing provoking Facebook posts of various groups, police said, adding he would frequently visit the Singhu border and was “highly motivated” by speeches made by leaders there.