A vandalised metal detector at the premises of Red Fort.
New Delhi:
The violence at Delhi s Red Fort by protesting farmers during a tractor rally on Republic Day caused much damage to the 400-year-old monument, a union minister said today.
On Tuesday, a mob of protesters drove their tractors into the Red Fort complex, many armed with swords and sticks, and ran amok. They planted the Nishan Sahib or Sikh religious flag and chased and assaulted policemen, who were outnumbered.
Prahlad Patel, the central minister for Culture and Tourism, said a report on the damage had been handed over to the Home Ministry and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) would file a First Information Report on the damage. Mr Patel said the ticket counter had been destroyed, the Lahori Gate was vandalized and lights were broken.