CHANDIGARH: Protesting wrestlers camping at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar have received major support from Haryana’s khaps who have declared a women’s mahapanchayat on May 28 at the new parliament building due for inauguration by PM Modi the same day.
A meeting of the Sarv Khap Panchayat in Rohtak’s Meham, about 120 km from the national capital, took place today and demanded the arrest and a nacro-test of former Wrestling Federation India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The top wrestlers of the country have been demanding action against the sexual harassment charges against Singh.
The panchayat meeting on Sunday was attended by representatives of more than 200 khaps (village community groups) besides others. Farmer union leaders from Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Delhi also participated at ‘Chaubisi Chabutra’ (a common platform for 24 villages) in Meham.
The country’s star wrestlers had given the government time until May 21 to look into their demands and come out with a solution. They warned of a bigger action if the government failed to act.
“Women from across the country will reach Delhi on May 28 to show solidarity with the wrestlers and take part in the mahapanchayat in order to mount pressure on the government to accept the demands of the wrestlers,” said Om Parkash Dhankar, chief of Dhankar Khap. He said a candle march would be taken out by the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar on May 23.