The Khap mahapanchayat being organised in Kurukshetra has concluded and its leaders have issued an ultimatum to the government to arrest outgoing WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. They have also stated that if the arrest is not made then the farmers will accompany the wrestlers back to the Jantar Mantar for the protest. The Balyan Khap chief Rakesh Tikait, while speaking to mediapersons stated, “The government has time till the 9th (June) to resolve the matter through talks, he (Brij Bhushan) should be arrested or else we will take these children (wrestlers) to sit at Jantar Mantar on the 9th, it has been decided. We will hold panchayats across the country.”
“Wrestlers have said that we had given you 5 days time and nothing has happened yet, we are very tense and any accident can happen,” Rakesh Tikait said.
Naresh Tikait’s intervention
Rakesh Tikait’s intervention in the wrestlers protest came after Sakshi Malik, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and other wrestlers announced that they will immerse their medals in the Ganga at Haridwar, as part of their continuing protest against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Just as they were about to drown their medals, Naresh Tikait, Rakesh Tikait’s younger brother and also a farmer leader, intervened and convinced them against immersing their medals. Naresh Tikait took the medals from the wrestlers and sought five days time to hold parleys with the authorities. That deadline is supposed to end on June 3.
Anurag Thakur’s support to wrestlers
Anurag Thakur, Union Sports Minister, said on Friday that everyone wants to see the wrestlers, but that can only happen once the proper legal procedure is followed, the PTI reported.
Thakur’s comments come days after the protesting wrestlers vowed to toss their medals into the Ganga river in Haridwar as a form of protest following Singh was accused of sexual harassment.
A slew of complaints against Brij Bhushan
Based on claims of sexual harassment made by wrestlers, the Delhi Police have lodged two FIRs and ten complaints against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the outgoing head of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
