Farmers protest: Doubts raised over actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu's political affiliation

After the videos went viral on social media showing actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu handed over a flag to a man to hoist on the ramparts of the Red Fort on the Republic Day during farmers' tractor rally, farmer leaders on Wednesday raised doubts over his political affiliation, claiming that "he is a worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party".

After the Red Fort incident, Sidhu posted a video on his Facebook page claiming that, "We have only hoisted the Nishan Sahib at the Red Fort while exercising our democratic right to protest."

Responding to Sidhu's video, Bhartiya Kisan Union Rakesh spokesperson Rakesh Tikait told ANI that "Deep Sidhu is not a Sikh, he is a worker of the BJP."

"There is a picture of him with the Prime Minister. This is a movement of farmers and will remain so. Some people will have to leave this place immediately- those who broke barricading will never be a part of the movement," he said.

The BKU leader asserted that those who created violence and unfurled flags at Red Fort will have to pay for their deeds. "For the last two months, a conspiracy is going on against a particular community. This is not a movement of Sikhs, but farmers. Our issues remain the same and our protest will continue," he said.

Farmer leader SS Pandher of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee said: "Some miscreants joined the protest to defame farmers' movement. We did not plan to unfurl the flags at Red Fort, this was not our program. Deep Sidhu's photo with the Prime Minister has floated, we had already expressed doubt over him."

BJP MP Sunny Deol whose picture with PM Modi and Sidhu went viral on social media, took to Twitter to clarify that he has "no relation" with the actor turned activist.

"I am very sad to see what happened at Red Fort today, I have already cleared through Facebook on December 6 that I or my family have no relation with Deep Sidhu," he tweeted.

Leaders of farmer unions protesting against the farm laws have said that Sidhu had directed youth to move towards the Red Fort yesterday.

On Tuesday, protesters agitating against the new farm laws entered the premises of Red Fort in the national capital and waved flags they were carrying from its ramparts.

A day after the violence broke out during a tractor rally in various parts of the national capital, security has been heightened at the Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border), and Tikri border, where farmers have been protesting against agricultural laws for over two months. A large number of security forces has been deployed at the protest sites.

Farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their Kisan tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre's three new farm laws. Several public and private properties being damaged in acts of vandalism by the rioting mob.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

(ANI)

Also Read: BKU distances itself from violence, Red Fort incident during farmers' tractor rally