Haryana: Ambala man who climbed water cannon to turn it off during farm agitation booked under attempt to murder charge

AMBALA: Ambala-based youth Navdeep Singh (26), son of farm leader Jai Singh of Jalbera village of the district, who climbed on the police water cannon on Wednesday to turn it off during farm agitation while breaking barricades at Mohra village in Ambala Cantt on National Highway (NH) 44, is being termed as a hero on social media.
The farmers of Haryana and Punjab are protesting against the Centre’s three farm laws and had to face deployment of heavy police force, water cannons, tear gas, barricades, and detention in Haryana, following call of ‘Dilli Chalo’ given by AIKSCC (All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee).
Several videos of protests and the police-farmers confrontation started making rounds on the internet and social media.
But one of them, featuring Navdeep climbing on the top of a Varun (water cannon vehicle) and turning the tap off and jumping back on a tractor-trolley, helping protesting farmers who were being targeted by water cannon, has gone viral on social media.
In the viral video, Navdeep can be seen climbing on the top of Varun vehicle, turning off the tap, and jumping back on a tractor trolley.
The incident took place near grain market, Mohra village in Ambala district on National Highway (NH) 44 on Wednesday, where the Ambala police blocked the passage with concrete blocks and barricades to stop BKU Haryana (Charuni) associated farmers of Ambala, Panchkula and Yamunanagar districts to march towards Delhi.
Navdeep has been booked under charges of the attempt to murder, rioting, and violation of Covid-19 norms and made a co-accused with Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Haryana state president Gurnam Singh Charuni and others, in a case registered at Parao police station on Thursday by Ambala police.
While talking to TOI, Navdeep who completed graduation in 2015 from Kurukshetra University said, “After my studies, I started doing farming with my father who is a farm leader. I never indulged in any illegal activities and got courage from the commitment of protesting farmers to climb the vehicle and turn off the tap as it was hurting them. While protesting peacefully, we were demanding a passage to Delhi but the police blocked our passage. We have all the right to question the government and protest if any anti-people laws are passed. We have reached Delhi breaking all the barricades in our way.”
“I climbed on top of water cannon truck from a tractor-trolley and after reaching the tap, I turned it off. A policeman also climbed up while chasing me but by that time, my brother brought his tractor near and I jumped on to it. The police hit me on my legs but I have no anger as they are doing their job and we are doing ours”, said Navdeep.
Several prominent faces and public figures are shared Navdeep’s videos on their social media platforms.