A khap mahapanchayat was organised in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, on June 1 to demand the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brij Bhushan Singh. Several representatives of various khaps from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi, including farmer leader Narender Tikait, participated in the meeting.
More than 60 khaps from Haryana and western UP announced on June 1 that they would stage nationwide protests to seek justice for the wrestlers demonstrating against Singh.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that khap representatives will meet President Droupadi Murmu and the fight would continue until justice is served to the nation’s daughters.
Meanwhile, the wrestlers were not given permission to sit on a hunger strike at the India Gate, demanding Singh’s arrest.
Two first information reports have been filed against Singh, over allegations of sexual harassment by women wrestlers. The first FIR relates to allegations by a minor wrestler. It has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The second FIR is related to outraging modesty.
The Wire spoke to journalist Mandeep Punia, who analysed how authorities have been reacting to the wrestlers’ demands on this matter. He said that the wrestlers will not back down and the government seems to have understood that. He added that wrestlers told him that they plan to take the movement to the global stage.