Actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who has been accused by farm bodies of trying to defame their agitation and termed a "traitor", has hit out at farm leaders for allegedly spreading false propaganda and hatred against him.
He claimed people “on their own” marched towards the Red Fort from all the Delhi borders on January 26 and that not many people took the route as decided by farmer leaders.
Slamming the farm leadership for accusing him of being a “BJP and RSS man”, he said, “Will RSS or BJP's man put up the 'Nishan Sahib' and a farmer flag at Red Fort? At least think over it".
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Earlier today, Delhi police named Sidhu and gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana in the FIR in connection with Red Fort incidents.
The Delhi Police has registered the case at Kotwali police station of North district under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and other legislation, the police said.
Provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act and the Arms Act have been added in the FIR.
The police have invoked IPC sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 152 (assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing a riot, etc), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), and 307 (attempt to murder), they said.
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Deep Sidhu dismiss claims...
He sought to dismiss the claims of several farmer leaders who accused him of inciting protesters to head towards the Red Fort during the farmers' tractor parade January 26.
“I am seeing that false propaganda and hatred is being spread against me,” Sidhu charged in the latest video uploaded on his Facebook post.
Sharing details about what happened on the night of January 25, Sidhu said youth and many people had told farmer leaders that they (farm leaders) had invited them to hold a protest inside Delhi on January 26 and that they had now changed their stand at the last moment.
Sidhu said he reached the Red Fort after its gate was broken.
Thousands of people had reached there, but there was "no farmer leader" present there, said Sidhu while claiming that nobody indulged in violence or damaged any public property.
They put up the 'Nishan Sahib' and a farmer flag at the flagpole to register their protest, said Sidhu adding that many people were carrying 'Nishan Sahib' flags, farmer flags and the tricolour.
“If you say by doing so I have turned traitor then those who were present there were traitors too,” said Sidhu.
“If you impose all these things on one person and give him a certificate of traitor then I think you should be ashamed of yourself,” said Sidhu.
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“Had our farmer leadership and each person taken a stand and said that look, what our farmers had done and if the rights of these farmers are not given, then these farmers can do anything, there would have been a huge pressure on the government,” he said
“But I was given a traitor certificate by our own men,” he rued.
Red Fort to remain closed
The Red Fort will remain closed for visitors from January 27 to January 31, according to an order issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
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While the order does not mention the reason behind the closure, it refers to earlier orders of January 6 and January 18 whereby the iconic monument was closed from January 19 to January 22 due to a bird flu alert.
What had happened?
Thousands of protesting farmers who reached ITO from the Ghazipur border clashed with police. Many of them driving tractors reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.
They also hoisted flags on the domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts of the national monument at which national tricolour is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.
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With PTI inputs
