Mincing no words in his attack on the farmers’ leaders for allegedly spreading false propaganda and hatred against him, Punjabi actor-singer Deep Sidhu on Thursday asserted that many farm leaders will be exposed “if I open my mouth”.
Notably, Sidhu has been protesting alongside farmers since day one at Delhi’s borders, demanding a repeal of the new farm laws, but has gone missing after he was accused by farmer leaders of “instigating” and “misguiding” protesters carrying out a tractor parade on Tuesday amid the 72nd Republic Day celebrations. However, in a video message released by the actor-singer on Thursday to clarify his stance, he said that he “is still near Singhu”.
Denying all allegations, Sidhu said: “I’m not a gaddar (traitor). I didn’t lead people to the Red Fort. This was the decision of the public who had come all the way from Punjab to protest. Nobody was leading them”.
“I also tried to convince the farmers’ leaders about the anger of the youth for the parade from Punjab that we should listen to them because our farmers’ movement is going on with their support, but they ignored my words,” said Sidhu dubbing the farmers’ leaders as “arrogant”.
Sidhu, speaking in Punjabi, accused the farmer leaders of “back-tracking” while threatening to disclose their hidden agenda if they try to shift the blame onto him.
“The farmer leaders have labeled me a gaddar (traitor). If I open my mouth, the farmer leaders would be exposed and they wouldn’t even find a way to escape from Delhi,” he said.
In a Facebook Live video, he added that he was “very much near Singhu border and those who chased him are loyalists of the farmer leaders”.
In the eye of storm for being among the protesters who put up a religious flag atop the Red Fort on Republic Day, Sidhu claimed that youth did not agree to follow the route which was decided by farmer leaders and the Delhi Police.
He claimed that the people “on their own” marched towards the Red Fort from all the Delhi borders on January 26 and that not many people took the route as decided by farmer leaders.
Slamming the farm leadership for accusing him of being a “BJP and RSS man”, he said: “Will RSS or BJP’s man put up the ‘Nishan Sahib’ and a farmer flag at Red Fort? At least think over it”.
Sharing details about what happened on the night of January 25, Sidhu said that youth and many people had told farmer leaders that they (farm leaders) had invited them to hold a protest inside Delhi on January 26 and that they had now changed their stand at the last moment.
Sidhu said that he reached the Red Fort after its gate was broken. “Thousands of people had already reached there, but no farmer leader was present there,” said Sidhu while claiming that nobody indulged in violence or damaged any public property.
They put up the ‘Nishan Sahib’ and a farmer flag at the flagpole to register their protest, said Sidhu adding that many people were carrying ‘Nishan Sahib’ flags, farmer flags and the tricolour.
“If you say by doing, so I have turned traitor then those who were present there were traitors too,” said Sidhu adding, “If you impose all these things on one person and give him a certificate of traitor then I think you should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Had our farmer leadership and each person taken a stand and said that look, what our farmers had done and if the rights of these farmers are not given, then these farmers can do anything, there would have been a huge pressure on the government,” he said.
Farmer leaders on Wednesday had called Sidhu as a “traitor” and had given a call for his boycott in the state. They had also dubbed him as an “agent” of the government.
Stating that he did not bring any disrepute to the farmers’ agitation, Sidhu further accused the farmer leaders of being “arrogant” and said that they wanted whatever decisions they take should be accepted by all.
“You are so jealous and so arrogant that you do not listen to anyone. Whatever decision is taken must be accepted by all,” he said.
He also alleged that the government would send people after him to hurt him.
