Published 19:22 IST, March 1st 2021
SAD's Manjinder Singh Sirsa backs Deep Sidhu; says 'will ensure he is out of jail soon'
SAD's Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee would extend all legal support to Deep Sidhu to get him out of jail.
Openly proclaiming support to Republic Day violence accused Deep Sidhu, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday in a massive revelation shared that he had been in touch with the Punjabi actor/singer and had last held a telephonic conversation with him the day he was remanded to police custody. Sharing that he was in perfect health, the SAD leader announced that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) would extend all legal support to the riot-accused to ensure that he is out of jail soon.
Deep Sidhu & Republic Day violence
The SAD leader's open support to Deep Sidhu comes amidst the constant allegations that label the actor as 'a BJP mole'. Despite repeated clarifications by the saffron party refuting the claims, several political parties namely the AAP and the Congress have claimed that Sidhu was planted as a 'mole' in the farmers' protest to discredit the agitation.
At the forefront has been the Aam Aadmi Party which had accused Sidhu of being not only a BJP, but an RSS agent as well after his photos with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP MP Sunny Deol made rounds on social media despite clarifications by Deeol that he had nothing to do with Sidhu after the 2019 campaign.
"The public has exposed that the person who insulted the tricolor has a photo with the Prime Minister, this is a BJP worker," said Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
On the other hand, Congress, which had earlier defended Deep Sidhu’s actions in November, was quick to label him as a 'BJP stooge' after the Republic Day violence. Congress MLA from Amritsar West, Raj Kumar Verka has accused the BJP of 'sheltering' Deep Sidhu or Lakha Sidhana even after the latter was found attending a rally in Captain Amarinder Singh's bastion in broad daylight.
The court had on February 23 sent Deep Sidhu to judicial custody in the case. He was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell from Zirakpur in Punjab after he went missing following the violence at Red Fort. The Punjabi actor-singer has been accused of inciting violence and leading protesting farmers with their tractors to breach the Red Fort, where ultimately religious flags were unfurled. Sidhu has categorically denied his involvement in instigating the crowd on Republic Day claiming that while he had gone towards the historical monument with everybody, he had no 'bad intentions.'
Updated 19:22 IST, March 1st 2021