Out on bail, Red Fort violence accused Deep Sidhu to launch political party today

Accused in the Red Fort violence case, actor-cum-activist Deep Sidhu will launch the 'Waris Punjab De' party in Chandigarh at 1 pm on Wednesday. As per sources, Sidhu has called upon people to join his outfit which will contest the Punjab Assembly election due early next year. He purportedly instigated protesters in advance, was present at the time of the incident and praised his co-accused Jugraj Singh who hoisted a religious flag at the rampart of the Red Fort. According to the Delhi Police, this crowd of protesters caused injuries to 167 persons besides damaging the building of the national heritage site. 

While he was first arrested on February 9, he was granted regular bail via an order dated April 16. Before he could be released from jail, he was again taken into custody by the Delhi Police on April 17 in connection with another FIR filed against him on a complaint by the Archeological Survey of India. However, his lawyer argued that the facts and allegations in both the FIRs were identical as both relate to the violence and the damage caused to the Red Fort on January 26. 

Ruling that his arrest in the second case was an attempt to defeat the bail order, Metropolitan Magistrate Sahil Gupta observed, "Considering the submissions made, I am of the considered opinion that Applicant’s further incarceration in the present case would bear no fruit and therefore would be unjustified, nor would the restoration of Applicant’s liberty be detrimental to the investigation being conducted by the police authorities". He was finally released after being granted bail in this case on April 26. Thereafter, he was named in the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police. 

The Red Fort violence

The Delhi Police had permitted farmers to take out the tractor rally on three routes emanating from the Singhu border, the Tikri border, and the Ghazipur border covering 62 km, 60 km, and 46 km respectively. Darshan Pal, Rajinder Singh, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Buta Singh Burjgil, and Joginder Singh Ugraha were asked to coordinate with the police during the rally. Additionally, the Police mandated that a maximum of 5000 persons with 5000 tractors can participate in the Republic Day rally from noon to 5 pm. However, the rally took a violent turn after groups of farmers broke police barricades at the Delhi border to enter the national capital before the allocated time. 

As per visuals, some of the protesters vandalised a DTC bus and drove tractors to deliberately run over the police personnel at ITO in central Delhi. In a clear violation of the conditions laid down by the police, farmers were seen carrying sticks and riding horses. Thereafter, the anti-farm laws protesters entered the premises of the Red Fort and unfurled their own flags from its ramparts. A total of 510 Delhi Police personnel sustained injuries apart from extensive damage to public property.