'Acts Of Fascists': Brazil President Vows To Punish Pro-Bolsonaro Rioters, PM Modi Expresses Concern

Lula da Silva vowed to punish supporters of Jair Bolsonaro after they stormed Congress. He was forced to declare emergency powers before dispatching the national guard in the capital to restore order.

Security officers are seen patrolling Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on January 8, 2023. Hundreds of supporters of Brazil's far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro broke through police barricades and stormed into Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court Sunday, in a dramatic protest against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's inauguration last week. ( Image Source :AFP )

New Delhi: Brazil's newly elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vowed to punish supporters of the country's ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro after they stormed Congress. Speaking before he arrived in Brasilia, Lula said there was "no precedent in the history of our country" for the scenes seen in Brasilia and called the violence the "acts of vandals and fascists", as reported by BBC.

Lula da Silva was forced to declare emergency powers before dispatching the national guard into the capital to restore order. He also ordered the closure of the centre of the capital, including the main avenue where governmental buildings are for 24 hours.

He accused the security forces of "incompetence, bad faith or malice" in the failure to stop demonstrators from accessing Congress. "You will see in the images that they [police officers] are guiding people on the walk to Praca dos Tres Powers," BBC quoted Lula da Silva as saying. He further said that the financiers of these vandals who went to Brasilia will pay with the force of law."We are going to find out who the financiers of these vandals who went to Brasilia are and they will all pay with the force of law."

Brazilian security forces regained control of the national Congress building on Sunday after supporters of far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro stormed inside and invaded the legislative chambers.

PM Modi Expresses Concern

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concern over the riots at Brazil Congress. "Deeply concerned about the news of rioting and vandalism against the State institutions in Brasilia. Democratic traditions must be respected by everyone. We extend our full support to the Brazilian authorities," PM Modi said.

The operation is underway to evacuate rioters from the Supreme Court headquarters and Planalto presidential palace, which pro-Bolsonaro supporters also invaded in protests against the inauguration of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, according to news agency AFP. Lula da Silva visited the ransacked presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court after the incident, AFP reported citing TV network Globo.

Responding to the attack, former president Jair Bolsonaro condemned "pillaging and invasions of public buildings" on Sunday, according to AFP.

Bolsonaro dismissed the claims of the new President as "baseless" that he incited the invasion of the seat of power in Brasilia. On Twitter, the ex-president, who left Brazil for the US state of Florida last month on the second-to-last day of his term, also defended the right to "peaceful protests."

(With Agency Inputs)