Delhi Police Commissioner justifies barricading farmers' protest sites, says 'no one asked questions when we were attacked on Jan 26'

Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava on Tuesday justified the barricading at farmers' protest sites along the borders of the national capital. He said the barricading is strengthened to ensure that it is not broken again like it was broken during the Republic Day tractor rally.

Responding to severe criticism after the barricading, SN Srivastava said that he was surprised when no one raised questions when policemen were attacked on January 26.

"I'm surprised that when tractors were used, Police was attacked, barricades were broken on 26th no questions were raised. What did we do now? We've just strengthened barricading so that it's not broken again," said the Delhi Police Commissioner.

For the uninitiated, farmers' protest sites at Delhi's borders have turned into fortresses with police beefing up security and strengthening barricades.

Iron rods have been hooked between two rows of cement barriers on a flank of the main highway at the Singhu border to further restrict the movement of protesters, agitating against the Centre's new farm laws.

Another portion of the highway at the Delhi-Haryana border is practically blocked as a makeshift 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 wire has also been put up to keep off people on foot.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Centre after the barricading. "GOI, Build bridges, not walls!" Gandhi said on Twitter posting pictures of barricades and road blocks at the farmer protest sites. "Modi style of governance -- Shut them up. Cut them off. Crush them down," he said in another tweet.