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Farmers break barricades at Jantar Mantar near wrestlers' protest venue. WATCH
Farmer leaders including BKU’s Rakesh Tikait and Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s Baldev Singh Sirsa have pledged their support to the protesting wrestlers.
The farmers from the Bharatiya Kisan Union on Monday reached Jantar Mantar where the wrestlers have been protesting since April 23 against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The video shared by news agency ANI showed the BKU members breaking the barricades and trying to reach the protest venue.
“A group of farmers were escorted to Jantar Mantar . At entry barricades they were in a hurry to reach the dharna site in which some of them climbed the barricades which fell down & were removed by them. Police team kept the barricades at the back aside to facilitate their entry”, DCP New Delhi Pranav Tayal said.
“The protestors have reached the dharna site and the meeting is going on peacefully”, the senior police official said.
This comes a day after the activists of BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) including women, had organised a protest at the Tikri border after they were stopped by the police from entering the national capital. However, they had broken the barricades and entered the capital.
The Delhi Police deployed over 2,000 personnel on Sunday amid the farmers' march to Jantar Mantar to join the protesting wrestlers. As per the Delhi Police, the people are allowed to enter Delhi in their private vehicles and buses not not by tractor trolleys.
The wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his sacking from the post in wake of sexual harassment allegations against him by women grapplers.
On Sunday, the wrestlers gave a May 21 deadline to the Centre for accepting their demands. At a briefing in the presence of around 2,000 supporters from khaps, farmer and women organisations, wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat said they were prepared for a long haul.
In another development, under-fire WFI chief Singh has urged farmer leaders not to make the ‘mistake' and wait for the outcome of the probe, this amid the Samyukta Kisan Morcha extending support to the wrestlers' protest against him.
The BJP MP from Kaiserganj, again claimed he was innocent and alleged that he was targeted as he had brought reforms in the selection process for wrestlers.
