Wrestlers’ protest: Khap mahapanchayat in Delhi today; security tightened

As khap panchayat leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana are marching to Jantar Mantar on Sunday to extend support to the protesting wrestlers, the Delhi Police has beefed up the security at the protest venue and at borders.

India’s top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, are protesting for the last two weeks, demanding the sacking of Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan and his arrest over charges of alleged sexual harassment of female grapplers.

Top points on khap mahapanchayat in Delhi:

1. The protesting wrestlers are hoping that the khap mahapanchayat will be of huge success and will help in getting more support for them in their fight against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

2. The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Tikait) have also extended support to the agitation and threatened to lay a siege to New Delhi, along with the khap leaders, if the MP was not arrested within one week, The Indian Express reported.

3. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait is likely to be present. He tweeted a video announcing that khap leaders will hold a panchayat at the protest site to decide the course of the protest.

4. Additional deployments will be made and areas near Jantar Mantar will be barricaded, some reports indicated. Delhi Police officials said there was no specific security plans for the candlelight march, but said tractors and slow-moving vehicles trying to enter the border would not be allowed and precautions will be taken to maintain peace and order.

5. Vinesh Phogat urged the supporters to be peaceful on Sunday so that bad elements do not hijack the protest. She also requested the police not to stop their supporters.

6. Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia has appealed to the countrymen to observe a candlelight march on Sunday to show solidarity with the protesting wrestlers. Punia said the two committees formed on Saturday have the full authority to decide their future course of action.

7. Another Olympic medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik said they are yet to decide the future course of action as their lawyers are still working on it. She also said sports minister Anurag Thakur was yet to approach them. “He already knows our demands, so it doesn’t make sense to meet him again. If he wants to talk to us, we will definitely talk,” Malik told reporters.

8. Subhash Baliyan, Sarv Khap general secretary, said around a dozen khap panchayats have decided to join the wrestlers in their protest and will remain with them till their demand is fulfilled.