NEW DELHI: Thousands of farmers will be reaching Jantar Mantar on May 8 to show solidarity with female wrestlers who have been sitting in dharna since April 23.
Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) – a collective of farmers’ unions have come out in full support of the wrestlers, who have been sitting on protest against alleged sexual harassment by the Bhartiya Janta Party’s Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Singh, who is also president of Wrestler’s Federation of India.
“We have conducted a virtual meeting where 40 farmers’ organisations have participated. We all agreed to reach Delhi in thousands to show solidarity with female wrestlers,” says Abhimanyu Kohar, a young farmer leader from Haryana.
The decision of farmers’ organisations came after the skirmished incident at midnight of May 3, which injured three wrestlers. Earlier, Delhi Police heavily barricaded the protest site and didn’t let in even journalists. Later, early morning of May 4, police relaxed its barricading.
Wrestlers accused the police of manhandling them on Wednesday night which Delhi police rejected it. Delhi Police said that some supporters of protesting wrestlers became aggressive, but which police defended themselves.
The SKMs leaders demanded immediate suspension of the accused policemen and the arrest of Brij Bhushan Singh.
“Despite registration of FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), police hadn’t yet made any enquiry with Brij Bhushan Singh,” asked the Kohar.
However, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the skirmishing between supporters of wrestlers and police. Moreover, the former chief minister of Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, supported the wrestlers.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal acused the Delhi Police behaved like goons.