NEW DEHLI, 1 February, 2021 (TON): Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on his latest address on radio, criticized the protestors that broke into the historic Red Fort in Delhi on Republic’s Day and clashed with the police.

Several thousands of farmers have camped on the outskirts of the capital for more than two months, demanding the repeal of the agricultural laws that they say benefit private corporations.

"The country was saddened by the insult to the Tricolor (Indian flag) on the 26th of January in Delhi," Modi said in his first public comments on a months-long farmers' agitation.

"The government is committed to modernizing agriculture and is also taking many steps in that direction," he added.

The violence erupted on Tuesday, 26 January, 2021 that came along with the country’s Republic Day.  Thousands paraded on the streets and stormed the Red Fort and engaged with the police which left one dead and hundreds injured.

Since then there have been sporadic skirmishes between protesters, police, and anti-farmer groups.

The Farmer’s Union voices that they were not responsible for the demonstrations as the protestors were in minority.

In September, India's parliament passed three agriculture bills aimed at liberalizing the country's farm sector. They were subsequently signed into law, sparking farmer's protests across the country.

Earlier this month, India's top court put the farm laws on hold and formed a committee to resolve a standoff between the government and farmers over three farm laws.

On Saturday, the PM told the opposition party leaders that an offer to freeze the laws for 18 months still stands.

On Friday, an anti-farmer group of around 200 people hurled stones at protesters and damaged their tents.

The group demanded that farmers vacate the area and said they had "insulted" the national flag during their tractor parade on Republic Day.

On Saturday, authorities blocked mobile internet services at three protest sites to "maintain public safety."

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that the government was in delusion if it feels our movement will be weakened by suspending the internet.

"The more they try to crush the voice of the farmers, the greater this movement will become," Tikait added.

Indian farmers held a daylong hunger strike on Saturday to protest against the agriculture reforms.

This is not the first time the farmers are on the roads protesting against the governments, they have held huge rallies in the past years across the country, considering it "neglect" of the agriculture sector amid increasing privatization.

It is reported that more than half of the Indian farmers are in debt, about 20638 committed suicides in 2018 and 2019 according to the official records.