Farmers' Protest: Deep Sidhu was not there when protests turned violent, says lawyer

New Delhi, Apr 08: In a recent development, Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu's lawyer said that the actor is not behind the violence that erupted in the Capital on January 26. Deep Sidhu only posted a video on social media, for which he has been named in media as a main accused of the Republic Day violence, his lawyer said adding that every mistake is not a crime.

Claiming that he is not a member of any farmers' union, Deep Sidhu's lawyer said that the protest was called by the leaders of farmers' unions. Sidhu has not given an call to go to the Red Fort and he himself was not present when violence erupted.

On February 9, the Delhi Police arrested Deep Sidhu on charges of inciting violence near the Red Fort on Republic Day.

Farmers who have been protesting against the three laws passed in Parliament in September - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 - took out a tractor march on Republic Day, after days of route negotiation with the Delhi Police.

The march will not enter the Capital, it was decided and a separate route map was prepared for the tractor march. But soon after the march began, the Capital turned into a battle field with groups of protesters clashing with police at several locations. One group of protesters clashed with police at ITO and then entered the Red Fort and unfurled religious flags from its ramparts.