Red Fort breach was a conspiracy to defame farmers: Congress - 102-year-old farmer joins the farmers’ agitation

The Opposition party wondered why main suspects Deep Sidhu and Lakha Sidhana had not yet been arrested

Hukley Chaudhary, a 102-year-old farmer from a Ghaziabad village, joins the farmers’ agitation at the Ghazipur border: Prem Singh

Sanjay K. Jha   |   TT   |   New Delhi   |   01.02.21  :  The Congress on Sunday confronted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging Tuesday’s Red Fort breach was a conspiracy by his government to defame the farmers and wondering why main suspects Deep Sidhu and Lakha Sidhana had not yet been arrested.

It also questioned Modi’s assertion in his Mann Ki Baat radio address that the nation had been saddened by the insult of the national flag on Republic Day, citing how the RSS had for decades refused to fly the Tricolour.

“The Prime Minister says the nation was saddened by the insult of the national flag on Republic Day. Why have the main culprits — Deep Sidhu and Lakha Sidhana — not been arrested six days after the incident?” Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said.

“The critical question is, how did these people enter the Red Fort? Nobody could have done that unless police allowed them to enter.”

“We are sad that policemen got injured that day. But on whose orders was such a situation created?” Shrinate said.

“Are our security forces fodder for political conspiracies? Your RSS didn’t fly the Tricolour for decades. You wiped your face with the Tricolour. Your supporters hail Nathuram Godse on Gandhi’s death anniversary. Your party leaders attack farmers in the garb of locals and journalists who expose this conspiracy are put in jail.”

“The nation was shocked to witness the insult of the Tricolour on January 26, said the Prime Minister,” senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted.

“Shocked!! Why were you not shocked to be associated with RSS which refused to fly our national flag for decades after the Independence? Crocodile tears, Mr Prime Minister.

“What about Deep Sidhu, Mr Prime Minister? How was he allowed to come up to Red Fort when other kisan leaders were not allowed? What was Delhi police doing when this was happening? By the way, where is Deep Sidhu? I am sure your home minister would know about his whereabouts! Stop fooling now!”

The police have registered an FIR against Sidhu and Sidhana but they remain free.

The Congress attacked the government for targeting journalists such as Punia.

“Those who fear truth arrest true journalists,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted: “Journalists covering farmers’ movement are being arrested, cases are filed against them. Internet is being shut down. The BJP intends to crush farmers’ voice. The government has also violated democracy’s dignity by filing FIRs against senior editors and journalists.”

A sedition case has been lodged against six senior journalists and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for “spreading violence and disharmony” through social media comments about a farmer’s death during the tractor rally.

Shrinate said: “This barbarism by elected governments — of filing sedition cases against journalists for speaking the truth — is worse than the cruelty of the colonial regime. This should shame every citizen.