New Delhi:
The 31-member committee advising the protesting wrestlers on Sunday said if WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is not arrested on May 21, it will make an “important decision” even as Vinesh Phogat claimed their protest was not hijacked by farmers.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesman Rakesh Tikait, Khap Maham 24 chief Mehar Singh and Sankyut Kisna Morcha’s (non-political) Baldev Singh Sirsa joined the wrestlers on the slides and addressed the media.
“Many leaders of Khap panchayat and SKM attended the meeting today. We have decided that members of each khap will come to the protest site every day. They will stay here during the day and return by evening,” Tikait said before a large gathering. .
“The wrestlers committee will take care of the protest and we will support the wrestlers from the outside. We have scheduled a meeting for May 21. If the government does not provide a solution, we will come up with our next strategy,” he added.
“When an emergency arises, when the wrestlers face a problem, the whole nation has their backs.” There has been a heavy deployment of Rapid Action Force (RAF) at the protest site with many khap leaders and farmers joining the injured wrestlers.
The turbaned farmers dressed in dhoti kurtas and numbering in the hundreds were seen at the protest site on Sunday as a ‘Mahapanchayat’ discussed the next step on behalf of the wrestlers.
The scenes were similar to the farmers’ protest that lasted for 13 months until the government repealed the law.
The Delhi Police have taken statements from the seven female complainants under section 161, while the statements under 164 (for a magistrate) under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) are yet to be included.
The wrestlers have accused Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan of sexually exploiting several female wrestlers over a period of time and have demanded his removal.
Mr Tikait said the tricolor has been shamed and will not be tolerated.
“We will help the wrestlers in any way we can,” he said, adding that it will go a long way and could spread to the whole country.
“It (Jantar Mantar) will remain the protest site from now on. The protest will gain momentum and spread. We must be prepared for a long battle,” he added.
“This is not a political protest, this is a non-political organization. But a few politicians have come to support the wrestlers across party lines.” Sirsa said, “We have also decided that we will force the government to arrest Brij Bhushan. As the peasants had fought their battle (against the agricultural laws), the wrestlers will continue their struggle in the same way.” “I ask the government not to test our patience. They had tested us some time ago and we passed the exam,” Sirsa said, referring to the farmers’ victory in repealing the agricultural laws.
Vinesh Phogat, the World Cup medalist, also hinted that the protest could grow larger if their demands are not met.
“We can make a big call if there is no resolution on May 21. No one has hijacked our protest, it’s just that people have joined us in our fight against injustice. These people respect us and care about our dignity,” said she. .
“All women can join this fight of ours. The supporters have given us strength. We are ready to fight.” When asked if they are mentally prepared to avoid training and competition for a long time, she answers in the negative.
“We are definitely going to participate. We are going to make a plan on how we are going to do that. We are definitely going for competitions.” “We have only one demand that Brij Bhushan should be arrested first and then his interrogation should take place,” she said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)