Rakesh Tikait issues 7-day ultimatum to Centre for arresting WFI chief

Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha submitted memorandums addressed to the President and staged protests at the offices of deputy commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates in Haryana and Punjab. He had also threatened to block Delhi's borders and launch a nationwide protest if the demand of the wrestlers was not met.

New Delhi: The farmers' leaders, who have supporting the protesting wrestlers, have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Centre to arrest Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Also, they have threatened to launch a country-wide protest in the form of panchayats on June 9 if Singh is not arrested.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said that it was high time that the government address the grievances of the wrestlers and arrest Singh. Else, the farmers' leaders will go with the wrestlers to Jantar Mantar in Delhi on June 9 and panchayats will be held across the country, Tikait said. "We have taken a decision that the government has to either arrest Singh or be ready to face a larger protest. Let the government decide what they would do," he said.

Prior to this, the farmers' leaders held Khap maha panchayats in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab to express solidarity with the wrestlers and discuss steps that were to be taken in this connection.

Earlier on Thursday, Tikait had said that the Khap representatives would meet President Droupadi Murmu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in support of the protesting wrestlers. Our fight would continue till the wrestlers get justice, he told.

Also, the farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha submitted memorandums addressed to the President and held protests at the offices of deputy commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates in Haryana and Punjab. He had also threatened to block Delhi's borders and launch a nationwide protest if the demand of the wrestlers was not met.