Wrestlers’ mahapanchayat: Stopped by police, farmers make Hisar plaza toll-free

Several khap leaders, women activists and farmer leaders were detained in Haryana ahead of a mahila mahapanchayat called by women wrestlers in Delhi. The women wrestlers have been protesting against WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Several khap leaders, women activists and farmer leaders were detained in the early hours of Sunday in Haryana, ahead of the mahila mahapanchayat called by women wrestlers in Delhi.

Members of farmer unions stage a protest in Ambala on Sunday.

The women wrestlers have been protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and they had given a call to hold a mahila mahapanchayat outside the new Parliament building in Delhi.

The police had detained khap heads, farmer leaders and other social activists in the early hours of Sunday in a bid to stop them from moving to Delhi to join the women wrestlers’ mahapanchayat. Many of the detainees were released by the evening. After the police detained several activists, farmers and villagers made a toll plaza in Hisar and some other parts free.

Kandela khap head Om Parkash Kandela said he and his associates were detained by the Julana police in Jind when they were moving towards Delhi in the wee hours on Sunday.

“They kept us in the police station for nearly 12 hours. Holding demonstrations comes under the right to freedom and the government can’t stop us from carrying out peaceful protests. We can’t blame police officials as they also have pressure from the government to detain us. We are ashamed of the way the Delhi police behaved with medal-winning wrestlers, who were marching towards the new Parliament building. Instead of taking action against Brij Bhushan, the police are stopping our daughters,” he added.

The police installed barricades at entry and exit points in bordering areas and vehicles were checked thoroughly.

Jind superintendent of police (SP) Sumit Kumar said scores of people from Punjab who were headed towards Delhi to join the mahapanchayat were stopped at Haryana border as a precautionary measure. The SP denied reports of detaining several khap heads and farmer leaders.

“We convinced people not to go towards Delhi and they agreed upon,” he added.

Binain khap leaders were detained from Narwana railway station in Jind.

All-India Kisan Sabha Rohtak district president Preet Singh was also detained by the Rohtak police and was released in the evening.

“The government is following an undemocratic way to suppress the voice of agitators and the centre is making all attempts to protect the WFI chief. Why is the police not arresting him,” he added.

The Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat on May 21 in Rohtak’s Meham had given a call to conduct a mahila mahapanchayat outside the new Parliament building.