DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES SINCE 1932 REPUBLIC DAY VIOLENCE Day after: Police file 25 FIRs, book over 30 farm leaders part of talks Also named in Delhi Police FIRs: Yogendra Yadav, Medha Patkar Cracks within, unions call off Parliament march, allege plot to break them MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL & JIGNASA SINHA SOURAV ROY BARMAN, SUKRITA BARUAH & RAAKHI JAGGA A DAY after the Republic Day violence, when hundreds of protesters forced their way into the Capital and stormed the Red Fort, the Delhi Police has registered 25 FIRs, including against over 30 of the 40 farm union leaders who were involved in talks with the Centre over the last few months. One of the FIRs, on the Red Fort incident, names Punjabi film actor Deep Sidhu and Lakhbir Singh Sidhana alias LakhaSidhana,gangster-turnedpolitician and president of the Malwa Youth Federation. Thirty-sevenfarmunionleaders, including six spokespersons of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM),havebeennamedinanFIR registered at the Samaypur Badli police station, in Outer Delhi, based on a complaint filed by Inspector Anil Kumar. The six SKM spokespersons whohavebeennamedare:Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president, BKU (Sidhupur); Balbir Singh CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MORE REPORTS PAGE 4, 6 THE EXPRESS INTERVIEW COMING TOMORROW NEW DELHI, LUDHIANA, JANUARY 27 High security at Red Fort in Delhi on Wednesday, a day after protesting farmers entered the monument. Praveen Khanna DAYS AFTER they rejected the Centre’s offer on suspension of the farm laws, farmer unions are on the back foot. With the police lodging FIRs and the future of the dialogue process uncertain, the unions now have to weigh their options on the way ahead. Deep Sidhu said in run-up: CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Picture abhi baki hai... Jan 26 plans up to Almighty Farmers told to pay bonds, Allahabad HC seeks UP reply KAMALDEEP SINGH BRAR AMRITSAR, JANUARY 27 ON JANUARY 20, exactly a week before the Republic Day violence, when Delhi Police and farm unions were in talks over security rules for the tractor parade, Punjabi film actor Deep Sidhu, who has been named in the Delhi Police FIR on the Red Fort incident, went on Facebook to livestream several tractors en route from Punjab to Delhi and said: “Picture toh abhi baki hai mere dost”. BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Action needed or situation would have been same as in Delhi: Sitapur SDM ASAD REHMAN LUCKNOW, JANUARY 27 THEALLAHABADHighCourthas sought a response from government authorities in Sitapur on a PIL alleging “financial hardship” to farmers after the district administrationdemanded“exorbitant personal bonds” ranging fromRs50,000toRs10lakhfrom CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ‘You can’t hurt religious sentiments’: SC rejects Tandav plea for relief from arrest EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, JANUARY 27 Bill Gates speaks on the pandemic, vaccines, technology and the way forward ITS NEGOTIATORS with the governmentnamed in RepublicDay violenceFIRsandunderpressure following cracks within over the direction of the protest, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation of farmer unionsseekingtherepealof new agriculture laws, Wednesday E E X P L A I NE D NEW DELHI, JANUARY 27 Weighing ● options THE SUPREME Court Wednesdaydeclinedtograntinterim protection from arrest to the makers of the Amazon web series Tandav, who are facing charges of hurting religious sentiments, but agreed to consider their plea for clubbing of FIRs registered in different states. “Approach High Court,” a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah said as Senior AdvocateFaliSNariman,appear- ing for the petitioners, urged the bench to direct that no coercive action be taken against the petitioners. The bench also issued notice on the prayer to club the FIRs pending in different states. The bench did not seem to agree with advocate Siddharth CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 them, plus sureties, “on the apprehensionthattheymayviolate lawandorder”giventhefarmers' protests on in the district. In the PIL, activist Arundhati Dhuru said the Sitapur district administration issued the notices to farmers who own tractors on January 19, and police surrounded their houses to prevent them from joining the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 `6.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM