On 26 January 2021, thousands of protesting farmers clashed with police officers in several areas of New Delhi during demonstrations against recently passed agricultural laws. Although authorities had granted permission to hold a procession, the demonstrators breached police barricades at various crossings along the border of New Delhi in violation of the approved route. Security forces used tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters at the Singhu-Delhi border crossing and erected barriers on both sides of the Delhi-Jaipur expressway to block protesters from entering the capital. Protesters who entered from the Ghazipur border crossing reached the Income Tax Officer (ITO) metro station in central New Delhi, where confrontations erupted with police officers, who responded with tear gas and baton charges. The demonstrators attacked security forces with stones and other small objects, attempted to run over several officials with tractors and vandalized several police vehicles at the ITO metro station. Protesters eventually reached the Red Fort and briefly occupied the historic structure. Police officers used tear gas and baton charges to drive the demonstrators out of the Red Fort.
One protester was killed during the unrest at the ITO metro station after a tractor overturned; an unknown number of police officers and demonstrators were also injured during the clashes. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation closed multiple lines throughout New Delhi in response to the protests. The Ministry of Home Affairs suspended internet services in the Ghazipur, Singhu, Mukarba Chowk, Nangloi and Tikri areas of Delhi until 0000 local time on 27 January (1830 on 26 January UTC).
