Punjab actor-turned activist Deep Sidhu who on Thursday, last week had said its (here – Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM))leaders wouldn’t know where to hide if he started revealing “their secrets”, died in a road accident on Tuesday. The accident took place on the Kundli–Manesar–Palwal Expressway and Sidhu was declared brought dead at Kharkhoda hospital.

On Thursday, Deep Sidhu by going “live” on Facebook Live around 2am to refute allegations levelled by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) that he demeaned the farmers’ stir by fomenting violence, he had said –  “You’ve shamelessly blamed me. People came (for the tractor parade in Delhi) with resolve based on your decision. People followed your words. How could lakhs of people be in my control? If I could provoke lakhs, then where do you stand? You had been saying Deep Sidhu has no following and no contribution; then how do you claim I took lakhs of people there,” Sidhu, who claimed that he was still near the Singhu border, asked on Facebook Live around 2am.

Deep Sidhu had shot into limelight following the Red Fort violence during the farmers’ protest on Republic Day last year. He was then twice arrested after being accused of playing a part in the conspiracy to hoist a Sikh flag at Red Fort on Republic Day. According to Delhi Police, after Sidhu’s arrest in February last year, it had claimed his intention was to “create violence and disregard our national flag”. In a statement given to a Delhi court that Sidhu was “the main rioter and instigator” of the Red Fort incident, that he “provoked people… thus inciting violence” and that he had been seen in a video with “swords, sticks and flags”.

He was however, granted bail by the Court in the case saying that the prosecution had sought to make an example of him since he was popular, but that this “hazards a failure of justice”, and that his continued detention was infringement of his right to life and liberty.

Sidhu was also accused of having ties with the BJP and provoking protesters to march towards Red Fort. He was later sidelined by the farmer unions in immediate wake of the Republic Day violence.

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