Deep Sidhu: The name on everybody's lips after the chaos at Red Fort on Republic Day

Amid outrage over farmer protesters hoisting a religious flag at the Red Fort during the tractor rally on Republic Day, Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu was one of the names that came under scrutiny. Sidhu, who was present during the incident, was accused of inciting violence in the tractor parade; The Tribune reported that, on Monday, Sidhu took over the main stage at Singhu borders along with gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana, and announced they would hold the march “inside Delhi”, deviating from earlier set plans.

Sidhu sought to defend the protesters' actions, saying they did not remove the national flag and had put up the 'Nishan Sahib' as a symbolic protest. The 'Nishan Sahib' flag, a symbol of Sikh religion, is seen at all gurdwara complexes.

In a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday evening, Sidhu claimed it was not a planned move and that they should not be given any communal colour or dubbed as fundamentalists or hardliners. "To symbolically register our protest against the new farm legislation, we put up 'Nishan Sahib' and a farmer flag and also raised the slogan of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta," said Sidhu. 

"The flag represents the country's unity in diversity," he said while pointing towards 'Nishan Sahib', the triangular saffron flag with the emblem of 'khanda', a two-edged sword, chakra, a disc, and two kirpans that cross each other at the handles. He stated that the national flag was not removed from the flagpole at the Red Fort and that nobody raised a question over the country's unity and integrity.

The move had elicited sharp criticism from both farmer leaders and politicians across the spectrum. Leaders condemned the violence and the Red Fort incident, with the Congress' Shashi Tharoor saying he supported the farmers' protests from the start but cannot condone "lawlessness". "Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers' protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on #RepublicDay no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort," the former Union minister said on Twitter, tagging a tweet that carried a video of the incident.

The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions that is leading the protest against the three central farm laws, also disassociated itself from those who indulged in violence during the tractor parade and alleged that some "anti-social elements" infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort. Over 80 police personnel have been injured in the violence.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

Who is Deep Sidhu, and what do farmer unions think of his involvement?

Sidhu, a Punjabi actor-turned activist, was an aide of actor Sunny Deol when the latter contested from Gurdaspur seat in Punjab during 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Deol, now a BJP MP, had distanced himself from Sidhu in December last year after he joined the farmers' agitation. Sidhu had faced allegations of espousing the cause of Khalistan while supporting the farmers' agitation. NIA had reportedly summoned him for questioning in connection with the banned pro-Khalistan Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) group.

Deol had then said: "Deep Sidhu, who was with me during the polls has not been with me for a long time and whatever he is saying, he is saying on his own. I am in no way connected to his activities. I stand with my party and farmers, and will always be with farmers."

Sidhu was a vocal voice in the farmer protests, but was not taken kindly to by all the farmer unions participating in the agitation.

Swaraj Abhyan leader Yogendra Yadav, who is among the leaders spearheading the agitation against the farm laws, said Sidhu had been disassociated "from our protest right from the beginning". "When he participated in a protest at Shambu border and seeing their activities, the farmer unions had decided to keep them away from our movement," he said.

After the Republic Day chaos, Times of India quoted farmer union activists to claim that Sidhu and Lakha Sidhana were some of the people responsible for the ruckus. The publication quoted farmer leader Rajinder Singh as saying that Sidhu too did not play a positive role, and BKU Haryana leader Gurnam Singh Charuni as criticising Sidhu for misleading youth to Red Fort and described him as a dalal (agent) of the Union government. 

BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan said, reported Hindustan Times: “He [Sidhu] posted a video claiming responsibility and justifying the act. Those who hoisted the flag at Red Fort were allowed a free passage as part of a conspiracy.” 

“He is the front face of Khalistan and the role he played on Republic day has made it clear,” said Ravneet Singh Bittu, Congress parliamentarian from Ludhiana, according to the publication.

AAP spokesperson Harjot Singh Bains tweeted: "Miscreants like Deep Sidhu has harmed this pious movement of peasantry. Farmer organisations have already discarded him and many have raised suspicions on his being an agent of agencies."

While accusations flew in from political leaders and other assorted activists of Sidhu being in cahoots with the Centre, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya tweeted: "Lame attempt by the Congress and assorted self-appointed leaders of the violent protests in Delhi, to pass off Deep Sidhu, the man seen breaching the sanctity of Red Fort, as being associated with the BJP, when he has himself denied it in the past! He is their asset gone rouge."

Sidhu had, in a Facebook video posted after the incident, rejected all accusations of instigating violence at the protests.

-Inputs from PTI