Book Deep Sidhu for sedition, demands Congress' Ravneet Bittu

Sedition charges should be registered against actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu and two others for Tuesday's violence during tractor rally protest by farmers against the new agricultural laws, said Congress lawmaker Ravneet Singh Bittu.

The Congress MP from Ludhiana claimed that "the prize money of Rs 1 crore 80 lakh had been announced to anyone who hoists a flag at Red Fort. They are trying to break the country. The sedition charges should be registered against three of them."

Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh who was assassinated in 1995, along with Congress' Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and party MLA Kulbir Singh Zira, have been holding a protest at the Jantar Mantar for the past several days in support of the ongoing farmers' agitation against the Centre's three agriculture laws.

"Some outside elements supported by Sikh For Justice and Aap Aadmi Party (AAP) sneaked into the rally and our farmer and their leaders were unaware about it," he added.

"Pandher, Pannu and Deep Sidhu are identified by the people of Punjab who fomented violence," Bittu said, adding that the farmers were following the route decided by the police.

After the Red Fort incident of rampage and flag hoisting, Sidhu posted a video on his Facebook page claiming that, "We have only hoisted the Nishan Sahib at the Red Fort while exercising our democratic right to protest."

Responding to Sidhu's video, Bhartiya Kisan Union Rakesh spokesperson Rakesh Tikait told that "Deep Sidhu is not a Sikh, he is a worker of the BJP."

A total of 83 police personnel were injured on Tuesday after intense clashes with farmers, who broke police barricades and stormed into the city on Republic Day to hold a tractor rally in protest of the new farm laws. Several incidents of violence took place during the tractor rally.

( With inputs from ANI )