Farmers owing allegiance to several farm unions held a Khap Mahapanchayat in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh where they decided to support the protesting wrestlers over their demand to arrest Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh over allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Khaps decided that will launch an agitation if need be, and said they will meet the President of India to press for their demands. Former leader Rakesh Tikait said that a decision on the future course of action will be taken at a meeting in Haryana on Friday and assured that farm unions will whole-heartedly support the protesting wrestlers.
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“A Khap representative will meet the President and the government. Khap and these women (protesting wrestlers) won’t be defeated. More decisions will be taken at Kurukshetra tomorrow,” farmer leader Rakesh Tikait told his audience at the mega meeting.
Notably, the farm unions have already pledged their support to the protesting wrestlers and even participated in the dharna at Jantar Mantar. The meeting today was expected to provide a clear picture of the strategy they choose to pursue.
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The Khap Mahapanchayat comes two days after protesting wrestlers gathered at Haridwar to immerse their medals in the Ganga. On Sunday, the protesting wrestlers were detained for taking out a protest march to Parliament on the day the new Parliament House was being inaugurated. The Delhi Police later also removed the tents etc. from the protest site at Jantar Mantar.
The wrestlers alleged they were manhandled and beaten by the police personnel during their detention. They were later booked on charges of rioting and obstructing public servants on duty.
The government, meanwhile, maintains that a police investigation is underway and appropriate action will be taken in the matter. “We also want that justice should be served. I assure you that an unbiased investigation will be done and appropriate action will be taken,” Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports said on Thursday.
Earlier today, the minister said that the government is handling the issue of protesting wrestlers sensitively. “The wrestlers asked for an FIR which has been filed by the Delhi police. A committee of administrators has been set up by the Wrestling Federation of India as they demanded that its office-bearers shouldn’t be allowed to function,” he said.
“The wrestlers should wait for the probe to get concluded… All the politicians expressing their views in this regard, I’d like to tell them that our law is the same for all Indians. The Modi government increased the budget for sports and the amount of respect Modi ji has given to the athletes is not unknown to anyone,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has said it will hold a nationwide protest in support of the wrestlers from June 1-5 demanding action against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.