Farmers, khaps throw weight behind wrestlers, mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar

Farmer outfits held a ‘khap mahapanchayat’ in Uttar Pradesh and a series of protests in Punjab and Haryana on Thursday, showing solidarity with wrestlers who have accused Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment.

At the congregation in Soram village in UP’s Muzaffarnagar, Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said they planned to meet President Droupadi Murmu and will hold another mahapanchayat in Haryana’s Kurukshetra on Friday to discuss the next steps in the agitation.

Union sports minister Anurag Thakur maintained that the government is handling the issue “sensitively,” and has agreed to the wrestlers’ earlier demands.

“The wrestlers asked for an FIR, which has been filed by 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,” Thakur told reporters during a visit to Mumbai.

The Delhi Police has filed two FIRs based on the wrestlers’ complaints. One of them relates to allegations by a minor wrestler and has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Will meet President: Tikait

The mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar went on for several hours.

“The representatives of the khaps will meet the President and the government in support of the agitating wrestlers and this fight will continue till the protesting wrestlers get justice,” BKU’s Rakesh Tikait said. Khap leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi were invited to participate in the panchayat.

Olympic and World Championships medal-winning wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat are among the players protesting against the WFI chief, who on Thursday accused them of changing their demands.

Under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, farmers held protests at the offices of several deputy commissioners and sub divisional magistrates in Haryana and Punjab, submitting memorandums addressed to President Murmu.

In Amritsar, farmers burnt Singh’s effigy near the deputy commissioner’s office. The SKM protests were also held in Sangrur, Patiala, Mansa, Barnala, Moga, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Ludhiana and Tarn Taran in Punjab.

In Bathinda, activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) faction gathered near the district administrative complex in the afternoon to protest against the BJP-led Centre government for protecting the accused. Ekta Ugrahan’s state secretary Shingara Singh Mann said it is a matter of shame that eminent Olympian wrestlers have been sitting on the road for more than five weeks now but the Centre has remained a mute spectator.

In Moga, volunteers of the Kirti Kisan Union gathered to express solidarity with the wrestlers. Union president Nirbhai Singh Dhudike said the SKM constituents will hold demonstrations again on June 5.

“BJP MP Brij Bhushan Saran should be arrested and we demand the cancellation of FIRs lodged against wrestlers on March 28. Force was used against the players who were demanding action against a person who is accused of sexual harassment charges,” he said.

In Haryana, the SKM volunteers protested across the state. Farmers burnt an effigy in front of the mini-secretariat in Hisar while there was also sloganeering in Ambala, Jhajjar, Bhiwani and Kurukshetra in Haryana. Youth Congress activists held a demonstration in Chandigarh.

Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the BJP-led Haryana government should not sit like “a mute spectator” on the issue, and take up the matter with the Centre.

“Wrestlers who brought laurels for the nation have not been given justice in the matter. The fact that these wrestlers were forced to contemplate immersing their medals in river Ganga is shameful for the country,” the former chief minister said in Chandigarh.

On Tuesday, the wrestlers had travelled to Haridwar after announcing that they will throw their medals in the Ganga there in protest. But they were persuaded by khap and farmer leaders not to carry out the threat. The leaders sought five days’ time from them to address their grievances.

Azad Palwan, a farmer leader from Jind said, “The government which talks about women empowerment has failed to give justice to international medal winning women wrestlers,” he added.

Panchayat held at Vinesh’s native village

A panchayat was held at wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s native village Balali in Charkhi Dadri district and people from every section extended support to women wrestlers.

Dronacharya award-winning coach Mahavir Singh Phogat, who is the uncle of grappler Vinesh Phogat and father in-law of Bajrang Punia, said the entire village will take part in the fight for justice.

“I took my daughters to the wrestling arena to change the gender dynamics and remained successful at that. Girls from rural areas started coming into the game but now, this is another turning point for girls. If the government fails to ensure justice to these girls, parents won’t allow their daughters to pursue a career in sports. Haryana has changed the narrative of people especially in sports and a lot of credit for this goes to our wrestlers, boxers, shooters and hockey players. If justice is not given to wrestlers, I won’t allow my daughters to continue in this field,” he added.

Govt following due procedure, says Mandaviya

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the BJP government is going as per procedure in the sexual harassment case filed against Brij Bhushan.

Responding to media queries here, Mandaviya said the issue is being turned into a political issue. “An FIR has been registered, and a probe is on. The farmers have joined in the protest, but all this shows political motives. The case is being investigated from all angles,” he said.

(With inputs from Bathinda, Rohtak and Ludhiana)