Bharat Kisan Union Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said on Wednesday that actor Deep Sidhu is not a Sikh, but a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, reported ANI.

According to Tikait, people who broke barricades during Tuesday’s tractor rally are not part of the protests. 

He said, “Deep Sidhu is not a Sikh, he is a worker of the BJP. There is a picture of him with the PM. This is a movement of farmers and will remain so. Some people will have to leave this place immediately- those who broke barricading will never be a part of the movement.”

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There was a massive outrage after some protestors hoisted a religious flag at the Red Fort during the tractor rally on Republic Day. According to PTI, Sidhu, who was among those protestors, said it was a symbolic protest and they should not be given any communal colour or dubbed as fundamentalists or hardliners.

Sidhu said, “To symbolically register our protest against the new farm legislations, we put up ‘Nishan Sahib’ and a farmer flag and also raised a slogan of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta.”

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Tikait alleged that a conspiracy is going on against a particular community. He said, “Those who created violence and unfurled flags at Red Fort will have to pay for their deeds. For last two months, a conspiracy is going on against a particular community. This is not a movement of Sikhs, but farmers.”

Tuesday’s violence along with the incident at Red Fort was condemned by political leaders.

Congress’ Shashi Tharoor said in a Tweet, “Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers’ protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on #RepublicDay no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort.”