Farmers Movement Archive

Who is former gangster Lakha Sidhana, accused of R-Day violence?

Apart from Punjabi singer Deep Sidhu, another name featured in Delhi Police's FIR that has turned heads is of Lakha Sidhana, a gangster-turned-activist, who was present at the Red Fort during the ruckus on Republic Day. Sidhana, also known as Lakhbir Singh, however, has denied the charges of instigating the protesters to climb the Red Fort. He has told news agency PTI that on January 26, he had only marched up to the Outer Ring Road.Read | Actor, ex-gangster at centre of farmers’ ireHere's what we know about Lakha Sidhana and his involvement in farmers' protest:> The 40-year-old former gangster, a native of Punjab's Bathinda, has been camping at the Singhu border with the farmers since November 26 as an activist.> It has been alleged that a day after the tractor march, which was meant to be peaceful, Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, another accused in the violence, and Sidhana addressed protesters and instigated them to "invade" the Capital. Sidhana has refused the allegation and said he was calming people instead.> The former gangster has at least 10 criminal cases against him at present, including land grabbing and murder.> Sidhana was once considered close to Akali leader Sikander Singh Maluka.> He contested 2012 Punjab assembly elections on a ticket from now-defunct People's Party of Punjab.> In 2017, Sidhana was in news for defacing English from signboards and demanding them to be written in Punjabi. He was arrested and was sent to Faridkot jail where he was agai booked for doing a Facebook live from his barrack.> After coming out of jail, Sidhana stirred another controversy as he went to meet Punjab's jail minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

Hindustan Times

28-01-2021

India