Farmer leader slams Deep Sidhu, calls him a BJP worker

New Delhi, Jan 27: Bhartiya Kisan Union chief Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday slammed Deep Sidhu for violence at Republic Day in New Delhi and claimed that the actor turned activist isn't a Sikh, but an employee of the BJP.

Condemning violence Tikait has alleged that it was planned by "some elements."

"Deep Sidhu is not a Sikh, he is a worker of the BJP. There is a picture of him with the PM. This is a movement of farmers and will remain so," Rakesh Tikait of BKU has said.

Talking about the viral video where Tikait was seen appealing to his supporters to be armed with lathis, he said, "We said bring your own sticks. Please show me a flag without a stick, I will accept my mistake."

The tractor parade on Tuesday that was to highlight the demands of the farmer unions to repeal three new agri laws dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the city as tens of thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

The Delhi Police has registered 22 FIRs so far in connection with the violence that broke out during the farmers' tractor parade in the national capital leaving over 300 policemen injured. They had given an undertaking to the police to take out a peaceful rally as per the proposed plans on four agreed-upon routes. However, on Tuesday around 8.30 am, 6,000 to 7,000 tractors assembled at the Singhu border, police said.

Instead of going on the pre-decided route, they insisted upon going towards central Delhi and despite repeated requests, the farmers, led by Nihangs on their horses and equipped with swords, kirpans and fursas, had charged at the police and broke through several layers of barricades, which were erected between Mukarba Chowk and Transport Nagar

Meanwhile, some farmers also indulged in vandalism and attacked policemen. Later, they changed their plans and moved towards Red Fort, it said. At Red Fort, they broke the gates and entered its wells. A section of the crowd also managed to climb atop the rampart of the Red Fort where they hoisted their organisation's flag, the statement had said. Police had managed to remove the crowd from the rampart.