BEHIND THE ‘ENEMY’ LINES

NAILS ON TRACKS, FENCES, IRON RODS, STEEL LATHIS…

Responding to medieval images emanating from farm protest sites -- of nails embedded in roads, layered barricading, barbed fences and walls with iron rod projectiles -- Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava had an innocuous response: That no one had raised questions when the police were attacked during the January 26 clashes in the city.

Speaking to media, Srivastava said, "I'm surprised that when tractors were used, the police was attacked and barricades were dismantled on January 26, no questions were raised."

"What have we done now? We've just reinforced the barricading so that it's not dismantled again," he added.

Commenting on images of Delhi Police personnel armed with shields and ‘steel lathis’ – almost like barbarians from another era – which they said were intended to defend themselves against sword-wielding protesters, Srivastava was candid enough to acknowledge that the metal rods were not part of Delhi Police weaponry.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police put out a disclaimer which said no formal order was given for reinforcing the force by equipping them with the steel armour. The statement added that the policemen took the initiative to arm themselves on their own. The Delhi Police also said that the ‘steel lathis’ were taken away as soon as senior officials were made aware of the same.

SAMPLE THIS

Iron rods have been embedded between two rows of cement barriers on a flank of the main highway at the Singhu border. Another portion of the highway at the Delhi-Har yana border is practically blocked as a makeshif t cement wall has come up there. At Ghazipur, on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, there are multi-layer barricades to stop the movement of vehicles. Barbed fences have been also erected (Courtesy India Today)