One of the most disturbing images that came out of the Republic Day insurrection was the hoisting of the flag at Red Fort. While there appears to be consensus that it was the Sikh Flag that was raised, it was interpreted by many to be the flag of Khalistan.
Now, according to some of the farmer leaders, the ones responsible for the hoisting of the flag at Red Fort were Deep Sidhu and his gang of supporters. Boota Singh Burjgill, President BKU (Dakaunda), told The Print, “Deep Sidhu and his group hoisted the flags at the Red Fort. They have been trying to create trouble in the movement from day one. We are following the parade route we had announced.”
“Deep Sidhu and his group hoisted the flags at the Red Fort. They have been trying to create trouble in the movement from day one. We are following the parade route we had announced,” says Boota Singh Burjgill, President BKU (Dakaunda) to @ThePrintIndia
— Chitleen K Sethi (@ChitleenKSethi) January 26, 2021
Satnam Singh Pannu, secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said, “We were in favour of parading on the Ring Road while others unions were against it. We paraded on the ring road today & are now back at Singhu. We had no plan to go to the Red Fort nor did we join those who went.”
Deep Sidhu is a Khalistani supporters who has been involved in the current protests against the newly passed farm laws from the very beginning. For a time, he even became popular with the media but ruined his chances after he gave an interview to Barkha Dutt, where he refused to condemn Khalistani terrorist Bhindranwale.
He had shot to media fame after a video had gone viral on social media where he was seen claiming that the farmers protests will be the defining moment of the geopolitics of not just India but also for the entire South Asia.
Referring to OpIndia, Barkha Dutt confronted Sidhu on reports that claimed that the actor was a Khalistan supporter. However, she was left disappointed when Sidhu, instead of condemning Bhindranwale, hailed him as a revolutionary who fought for a strong federal structure. Despite Barkha Dutt’s repeated insistence, Deep Sidhu did not budge from his stand.
Some on social media, however, after the role of Deep Sidhu in today’s events became evident, have attempted to falsely brand him a ‘BJP supporter’. In reality, Sidhu had clarified during his interview with Barkha Dutt that he had only campaigned for Sunny Deol because he shared a very good personal relationship with the actor and he was not associated with any political party.
National Coordinator of Digital Communications and Social Media of the Congress party, Gaurav Pandhi, claimed that it was “BJP’s sinister plan” and it was “BJP’s Deep Sidhu” who attempted to hold the Red Fort at siege.
Others with an-anti BJP political stance are also falsely claiming that Deep Sidhu is a BJP member.
Such attempts come after the Congress party celebrated the violence at the national capital on Republic Day and called it a demonstration of the ‘power of a republic’. Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, has also attempted to use the Republic Day insurrection to further his personal political agenda and demand a repeal of the farm laws.
Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that it was the Congress party which helped propel Deep Sidhu as a ‘farmer leader’.
Congress Party and Anti National people sleeps on the same bed. pic.twitter.com/1DY7qu5o90
— Akshay (@AkshayKatariyaa) January 26, 2021
Thus, quite clearly, an attempt is being made to whitewash the role of farmer leaders in the current spate of violence that erupted at the national capital. Farmer unions, too, appear to focus all the blame on Deep Sidhu so that they can absolve themselves of their role in the violence that transpired.
