Lakha Sidhana, who was in the news back in 2021 during the first farmers’ protest, for his alleged in the Republic Day violence at Delhi’s Red Fort, has once again surfaced in the news.
Lakha Sidhana alias Lakhbir Singh belongs to Sidhana village in Punjab’s Bathinda district. Considered one of the most dreaded gangsters in Punjab at one time, Lakha Sidhana is an accused in more than two dozen cases, including booth capturing, attempt to murder, murder, loot, besides violation of the Arms Act.
As the farmers protest once again to press the Centre to meet their demands, Sidhana’s name has once again cropped up as Delhi Police went on alert and stepped up security at the borders after receiving intelligence that he was spotted around the protest site in Haryana, allegedly inciting the farmer groups to break the barricades, Times of India (TOI) reported.
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Additionally, a video of has surfaced on social media. In the video, Sidhana reportedly smeared Colgate toothpaste over his face and said, “This is Colgate. I appeal to all the farmers to apply white Colgate to reduce the effects of tear gas on your face. It will help to reduce the itching and heat from your face.” The video, doing rounds on social media, is said to be from Khanuri border in Haryana’s Jind.
Who is Lakha Sidhana?
Sidhana entered the world of crime as a student leader and was initially involved in small brawls but later indulged in booth capturing and then became a gangster. Lakha Sidhana used to work for Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sikander Singh Maluka.
Lakha Sidhana was first jailed in 2004 and was put behind the bars many times till 2017. He was also arrested on October 31, 2017, after some of the activists of his group, Malwa Youth Federation, smudged signboards written in Hindi and English along the Bathinda-Barnala highway. The group was demanding that Punjabi words be placed on top of signboards.
Later in November 2017, he was booked for using a mobile phone while inside Faridkot jail.
During the farmers’ protest in 2020-21, he was camping at the Singhu border with the farmers as an activist in November 2020.
In January 2021, it was alleged that a day after the tractor march, which was meant to be peaceful, Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, another accused in the Republic Day violence and Sidhana addressed protesters and instigated them to “invade” the national capital. However, Sidhana refused the allegation and said he was calming people instead.
He had told news agency PTI that on January 26, he had only marched up to the Outer Ring Road and denied charges of instigating the protestors to climb the Red Fort.
On January 26, 2021, a group of protesters thronged the Red Fort on January 26 and hoisted the Nishan Sahib, the holy Sikh flag, on a pole mast.