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Arrest WFI ex-chief or we will march to Delhi: Khap leaders
Representatives of over 170 khaps demanded the arrest of former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
A mahapanchayat of khaps or clan-based groups from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Delhi on Friday demanded the arrest of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over charges of intimidation and sexual harassment, and threatened to march to the Capital if their demand was not met by June 9.
In the mahapanchayat that took place in Haryana’s Kurukshetra and lasted for about five-and-a-half hours, representatives of over 170 khaps also sought dropping of all charges against the protesting wrestlers and threatened to take them to Jantar Mantar in Delhi if the government did not act on the demands.
On May 28, Delhi Police had cleared the site of the wrestlers’ sit-in at Jantar Mantar and detained them after a scuffle with security personnel who tried to stop them from marching to the new Parliament building as it was being inaugurated. The protesting wrestlers were subsequently booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
“The central government has time till June 9. We will not compromise on anything less than the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. If this does not happen, we will go to Jantar Mantar on June 9 and hold panchayats across the nation,” Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said.
“The cases against the wrestlers should be withdrawn and the arrest of Singh must happen,” he added.
Friday’s meeting was the second such mahapanchayat in two days. On Wednesday, a similar meeting was held in Muzaffarnagar where the khaps decided to send a delegation to President Droupadi Murmu and apprise her of the wrestlers’ demands. None of the protesting wrestlers were part of the two mahapanchayats.
Tikait’s comments came three days after his brother and BKU chief Naresh Tikait convinced Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, Rio Games bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, and double World Championship bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat — they have 45 senior international medals between them — to hold off on immersing their medals in the Ganga amid unprecedented scenes on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar.
The wrestlers want the arrest of Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Kaiserganj who has ruled Indian wrestling for 12 years, over allegations of sexual harassment of athletes, including at least one minor. Singh has denied the charges, hit back at the wrestlers, and even said that their medals are worth ₹15 each. Though he has been removed from WFI, which stands suspended, and two FIRs have been filed against him, the wrestlers have demanded that he be arrested immediately.
“We had sought five days’ time from the protesting wrestlers who are now disappointed. The wrestlers told us that despite giving us the time, no developments had taken place. But we sought more time from them as the government has invited us for talks,” Rakesh Tikait said.
He also sought security for the protesting wrestlers and their family members.
Chaudhary Surender Solanki, head of Palam 360 khap in Delhi who was among the key decision makers at the mahapanchayat, said: “We want all charges against wrestlers to be dropped. It is their democratic right to protest.”
Meanwhile, an argument broke out during the mahapanchayat after a few members complained that they were not being allowed to speak on the wrestlers’ protest. WHICH Tikait alleged that an attempt was made to derail the talks but it finally failed.
