Delhiviolence accused and gangster-activist Lakha Sidhana on Tuesday dared police toarrest him as he addressed a public rally he called in Punjab's Bathinda as ashow of strength and to express solidarity with those facing police action forsupporting the cause of the protesting farmers.
However,leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha distanced themselves from the'mahapanchayat' that saw tens of thousands of people largely comprising theyouth and the women at Mehraj, the ancestral village of Chief MinisterAmarinder Singh.
Sidhana,who is carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh for providing information about him, hasbeen booked by Delhi Police for instigating violence during the farmers'tractor rally at Red Fort on Republic Day.
"IfDelhi Police come to arrest anyone in Punjab, villagers will gherao (surround)them," Sidhana said at the rally, indirectly referring to his arrest.After the rally, he left the venue on a motorcycle.
Therally was called to express solidarity with Deep Sidhu, Sidhana, Nodeep Kaurand other arrested people associated with the farmer agitation and "togive a message that youth is upbeat and not defeated or disappointed".
Callingto intensify the agitation, speakers at the rally favoured that reins of theagitation should be handed over to the youth. They asked the farmer unionleaders to show big heart by saying "they are with every youth of Punjabwho are being prosecuted by Delhi Police".
Theleaders should raise their voice for all such youth so that governments shouldknow that we are one, the leaders advocated.
Earlier,in a video post, Sidhana had asked people to turn up in large numbers at Mehrajvillage to show their support for the protesting farmers.
"Wehave been agitating for seven months. Now, this protest is at its peak...we areholding a big programme in village Mehraj in district Bathinda on February23," Sidhana had said.
Grandfatherof farmer Navreet Singh, who had died in New Delhi on January 26, and AAPlegislator Kultar Singh Sandhawa were among those who attended the rally.
LakhbirSingh alias Lakha Sidhana, named as one of the main accused for the violence onRepublic Day, dreamed of making big in politics through the farmers' agitation.
SinceNovember 25, he had been quite active in the agitation on the borders of thenational capital and aggressively lobbying for the agitation to gain momentum.
Sidhana,a small-time gangster who aims to enter politics by reflecting himself a socialactivist, was acquitted in several cases before contesting the 2012 Assemblypolls as a candidate of the People's Party of Punjab, once led by ManpreetSingh Badal, who is currently the Finance Minister in the Congress governmentin Punjab.
Farmerleaders have, in fact, now distanced themselves from Sidhana and are nowblaming him and Deep Sidhu for inciting violence at the Red Fort.
Sidhanabelongs to Sidhana village in Bathinda district. At one point of time, he usedto work for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Hewas first jailed in 2004 and was put behind the bars many times till 2017.
Oflate, he hogged the limelight as a social activist by demanding that allofficial signboards, other than English, should be in Punjabi first.
Alongwith Sidhana, Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who was seen asprotesters swarmed the Red Fort and even put up a religious flag on itsramparts, has been named the main accused in the violence. He has already beenarrested by Delhi Police.