Bhana Sidhu release: SAD (A) chief Simranjit Singh Mann under house arrest

The ‘rail roko’ protest, however, failed to materialise with police detaining several party workers and leaders from Sangrur, Barnala, Malerkotla, Mansa and other places.

Tejinder Singh Deol, national president of SAD (Amritsar) youth wing, told The Indian Express, “Mann Saab has been house arrested since early morning in his Sangrur-based house. The police came inside his house and they can even be seen outside his house. Besides, many youngsters were picked from the Dohla railway crossing of Dhuri while many others were picked from their houses. We have no idea about the exact number of workers being detained as of now.”

Deol said, “It is against the freedom of speech… today it is Bhana Sidhu, tomorrow can be someone else as well. It is high time that we need to stay united and raise our voice.”

Another leader, Hardeep Singh Narike, was detained from Amargarh town of Malerkotla, while Lakha Singh from Guraya village, said Jagjit Singh, Ferozepur district in-charge of SAD (Amritsar).

Earlier, Mann himself had convened gatherings in various villages of Amargarh, Malerkotla, Barnala and Sangrur in the past few days in support of blogger Bhana Sidhu, a critic of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, who was arrested in an extortion case and has three other cases against him. Mann had stated that all justice-seeking people will be gathering at Dohla railway crossing in Dhuri in support of Bhana Sidhu.”

Meanwhile, many youngsters are staging protests in Barnala, Mansa and Sangrur and have been posting the pictures of the protests on their social media pages.

Kaka Sidhu alias Bhana Sidhu is a social media influencer hailing from Kot Dunna village of Barnala district. He was arrested on January 21 from Ludhiana in an extortion case for allegedly demanding Rs 10,000 from a woman who runs a travel agency. Before his release on January 26, Patiala police took him into custody in a snatching case registered against him last year. Sidhu’s arrest led to an unprecedented crowd at his native village on January 29 as people and fans came out to support him.

Later, he was booked in extortion cases on a complaint of immigration and travel agents of Abohar, Mohali and Sangrur as well. His brother Amna Sidhu has also been booked in an extortion case filed by a Mohali-based immigration consultant.