Deep Sidhu, accused of violence on Republic Day during a farm tractor demonstration, has been arrested.
New Delhi:
Actor and activist Deep Sidhu, accused of violence at the Red Fort complex in Delhi on Republic Day during a farm tractor demonstration, has been arrested, police said today.
Police had announced a $ 1 lakh reward for leads on Deep Sidhu and three other defendants.
Deep Sidhu was accused of fueling chaos and clashes when a farmers’ demonstration protesting the center’s three agricultural laws broke down on January 26, and protesters defied agreed routes and schedules and made their way to the Red Fort.
Protesters were seen climbing the historic walls and placing a Sikh religious flag, as well as clashing with police in widely condemned violence.
Police, repeatedly calling for calm and urging protesting farmers to withdraw and return to agreed routes, used tear gas and lathi charges to regain control.
Deep Sidhu, 36, had been posting videos on Facebook defending himself even when teams from the Delhi Police Criminal Branch were searching for him. The videos were uploaded by his friend abroad, law enforcement sources said.
A controversial figure in farmers’ protests, Deep Sidhu has been accused by farmer groups of attempting to derail their movement and lead a “conspiracy” against them.
The actor responded to the farmers by saying: “If they label me a gaddar (traitor), then all agricultural leaders are gaddars.” In one of his videos, he also accused peasant leaders of backtracking on their protests.
Delhi police filed 44 cases and arrested 122 people prior to this. Several farmers’ union leaders have been named in the police cases.
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