On Republic Day, Delhi witnessed violence after farmers broke police barricades in several areas and stormed the Red Fort, hoisting their own flags at the ramparts and raising slogans.
Meanwhile, some social media posts claimed that the protesters hoisted the Khalistani flag, after which the social media was flooded with hateful posts and outrageous comments. Some posts claimed that the tricolour was removed and farmers hoisted their own flag in place of the national flag.
However, farmer leaders made it clear that there was no Khalistani flag waved on the iconic Red Fort. The protestors carried a Sikh Flag called the 'Nishan Sahib' that is found in every Gurdwara and the same is carried invariably during religious processions.
Several users on social media clarified that the national tricolour hoisted at the topmost pole of the Red fort remained untouched.
What is 'Nishan Sahib'?
The flag waved at the protest is known as "Nishan Sahib", which is also called 'Sikh flag'. The emblem of the flag has a blue Sikh insignia, called 'Khanda', in the middle. The insignia consists of a two-edged sword, chakra, a disc, and two kirpans crossing each other at the handles.
The emblem on the flag was introduced by the Tenth Sikh leader Guru Govind Singh. The flag represents truth, unity, bravery, and pride.
The incident shook the entire nation, a huge number of protesters were involved in the unruly act. They were seen attacking policemen and vandalizing buses, prompting the cops to use tear gas and lathi-charge to disperse them. As night fell, the Red Fort was secured, the flags removed and protesters made to vacate the premises.
