Olympic medal-winning grappler Bajrang Punia on Sunday announced that the wrestlers will hold a panchayat of their own soon, while requesting the khap heads, farmer leaders and opposition members who had assembled in Sonepat’s Mundlana on Sunday to not take any decision.
Addressing the mahapanchayat on Sunday, Bajrang Punia urged Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, the organiser of the event, to not take any decision and sought four to five days from him.
“We will call a sportspersons’ panchayat and will inform you about it. We will decide the date and venue of the panchayat in which all khaps, farmer unions and other activists will take part. We need three to four days to decide. After the Delhi incident, both women wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, are emotionally traumatised and their family members are taking care of them. Their families are concerned about them and the duo is not mentally fit to attend this meeting,” Punia added.
Former Meghalaya governor Satya Pal Malik, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary, Bhim army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad were among the other leaders who were present during the mahapanchayat.
Charuni said they had called the mahapanchayat to decide on the future course of action but now, they have given four days’ time to the Centre to act against the Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
{{/usCountry}}Charuni said they had called the mahapanchayat to decide on the future course of action but now, they have given four days’ time to the Centre to act against the Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
{{/usCountry}}“We will sit on Delhi’s boundaries and bar the entry of BJP-JJP leaders in Haryana’s villages and cites, if justice is not served to women wrestlers,” he added.
Former governor Satya Pal Malik said, “The BJP government has decided to eradicate the farming community. First, they brought three farm laws, then the Agniveer scheme and now they our women wrestlers are fighting against them. The Centre has to bow down in this fight. We have to get united and teach them a lesson in next year’s general polls, otherwise they will scrap the farming community from India,” he added.
Rajya Sabha MP and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary said the whole nation is standing by the wrestlers. “The government should act against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and give justice to wrestlers. I spoke to Deepender Hooda and Hanuman Beniwal and they were also concerned about the plight of wrestlers. We will provide whatever support is needed to our daughters,” he added.
Abhay Chautala urges khaps to call for Haryana Bandh
In Hisar, Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Singh Chautala asked the khaps and farmer leaders to give a call for a day-long Haryana Bandh in support of women wrestlers. “If Haryana is closed for a day, the Centre will be forced to act against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The BJP government has a habit of protecting the oppressors. They had protected Union minister Ajay Mishra in connection with Lakhimpur Kheri incident, Haryana minister Sandeep Singh and now WFI chief,” he added.