Farmer Protest “Hero” Charged With Attempt To Murder

26-year-old Navdeep Singh, who had grabbed headlines for climbing atop water cannon to turn it off during farmers protest in Ambala district on November 25, has been booked for attempt to murder. Navdeep Singh has been charged with attempt to murder, rioting, and violation of COVID-19 rules. He has been booked in the same FIR in which Bhartiya Kisan Union Haryana president Gurnam Singh Charuni has been booked.

Navdeep’s father, Jai Singh Jalbera, is also an accused in this FIR. The police have accused them of attempting to run over policemen with a speeding tractor-trolley by breaking the police barricading. According to the reports, the case was registered at Parao police station.

Navdeep stole the limelight after a video featuring him went viral on social media sites. In the video, Navdeep can be seen braving police lathis to climb and turn off the water cannon tap and jumping back onto a tractor-trolley during the farmers' protest.

As the news of Navdeep Singh being booked under various charges hit the headlines, people are taking to social media to stand-in support.

One Twitter user Ash J wrote, 'Hailed as a hero on social media after the video was widely shared, 26-year-old Navdeep Singh had climbed the blue water cannon vehicle showering protesting farmers in the middle of a north Indian cold wave on Wednesday as they braved brutish attempts to block their march.'

Another user Rohini Mohan wrote: “100s of people in the video have clearly seen #NavdeepSingh murder police ego, but nothing else. The government's imagination is obviously exhausted in the face of heroes. #FarmersProtest.”

One Twitter user-targeted the BJP government and wrote: “Charges with murder by BJP govt..... I regret my vote today won’t make the same mistake.”