Sikh religious flag hoisted at Red Fort

As unprecedented chaos was unleashed upon Delhi on the 72nd Republic Day when the tractor rally by protesting farmers went off the designated course, several protesting farmers arrived at the iconic Mughal-era Red Fort and hoisted a religious flag on a mast outside. The protesting farmers also entered the forecourt of the fort, climbed its ramparts. The police, wielding batons, managed to remove them from inside the fort. They also hoisted flags on the fort’s domes. The tricolour, which is permanent fixture of

Red Fort, was not touched.

The saffron flag hoisted by protesters from a staff outside the iconic Red Fort was the 'Nishan Sahib', a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes.

The “Nishan Sahib” is a triangular flag that is sacred to Sikhs. The emblem on the flag comprises a “Khanda”, a two-edged sword, Chakra, a disc, and two Kirpans that cross each other at the handles. The other flag they hoisted along with it appeared to be of a farmer union.

Almost half of the policemen injured in the farmers’ violence on Tuesday were at the Red Fort where several police personnel fell or jumped tens of feet down a wall after being pushed to the edge by a marauding mob.

Late at night police cut the power supply to Red Fort to clear it from protesters. Around 11.30 pm cops evicted some protesters who were left behind.

Actor Deep Sidhu, who was among those present during the incident, on Tuesday sought to defend their action, saying it was a symbolic protest and they did not remove the national flag. He said that they should not be given any communal colour or dubbed as fundamentalists or hardliners.