Who is Deep Sindhu? Accused of instigating violence at Farmers’ tractor rally

A tractor march meant to highlight farmers demands dissolved into anarchy on the streets of Delhi on Tuesday as hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles, and hoisted a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India’s tricolor.

Punjabi singer and actor Deep Sidhu instigated protesters part of the farmers’ tractor rally and led them to the Red Fort in Delhi, allege farmer leaders. In his defense, actor Deep Sidhu said in a Facebook LIVE video, “We only hoisted the Nishan Sahib at the Red Fort while exercising our democratic right to protest, the Indian flag was not removed.”

Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav also blamed Deep Sidhu responsible for the whole incident that took place at Red Fort. “Deep Sidhu was present at Red Fort during the violence. We were opposed to him since the start,” Yogendra Yadav said. “A probe should be launched into how Deep Sidhu reached the Red Fort with a microphone,” Yogendra Yadav said.

Meanwhile, Gurnam Singh Chaduni, Chief of the Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), had accused Deep Sidhu of inciting and misguiding protesters. “He [Deep Sidhu] led them to the Red Fort. Farmers never wanted to go to Red Fort,” BKU’s Haryana unit chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni was quoted as saying.

The farmers, who have been protesting against the three farm laws for two months, were allowed by the Delhi Police to take out the Kisan tractor parade on Republic Day and routes were already set for it. However, by not following the prescribed routes, the protesters reached the Red Fort.

Following the clash at the tractor parade, Sunny Deol issued a statement saying he doesn’t have any links to Sidhu. “I had earlier, on December 6 through Twitter said that neither I nor my family has any links to Deep Sidhu.”

Who is Deep Sindhu?

Deep Sidhu was born in 1984 in Punjab’s Muktsar district. He had studied law and was also a part of the Bar for a brief period before he won the Kingfisher Model Hunt award. His first Punjabi movie–Ramta Jogi– had released in 2015. But, he became popular in 2018 following the release of his movie Jora Das Numbria, wherein he played the lead role of a gangster. Sidhu also worked for BJP MP Sunny Deol during his Gurdaspur election campaign in 2019.