'Mahapanchayat' on wrestlers' protest Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh):A 'Mahapanchayat' has started at Soram village of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh to discuss the issue of the ongoing protest by the wrestlers. Speaking on the occasion, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that a Khap representative will meet President Draupadi Murmu.
"A Khap representative will meet the President and the government. The Khap and these girls (wrestlers) will not be defeated," says Rakesh Tikait on wrestlers' protest.
Top grapplers including Olympians Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat are protesting the inaction against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment of woman grapplers.
The Mahapanchayat was called by a farmer leader Naresh Tikait, who is the head of the Balyan khap. Earlier, the wrestlers had decided to immerse their World and Olympics medals in river Ganga in Haridwar on Tuesday, but following intervention by Naresh Tikait, they had refrained from the move. The Mahapanchayat is being attended by khap leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Also read:Wrestlers protest: 'It's all emotional drama...will hang myself if proven guilty', says Brij Bhushan Singh
A Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader said that the 'Mahapanchayat' will pass a resolution at the end of the meeting. According to the BKU leader, the resolution will be passed by Thursday evening after khap leaders from all states express their views on the issue.
On Sunday, the protesting wrestlers were moved from Jantar Mantar in the national capital, the place they were protesting from. Delhi Police had detained the protesting grapplers, but they were later released. Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik had said that their fight would continue until they get justice despite the happenings.
Meanwhile, Brij Bhushan Singh on Wednesday in a public rally in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh had termed the protest by the grapplers as an "emotional drama". He had also said that he would "hang" himself if even a single allegation against him was proven. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had appealed to the wrestlers to be patient and not take any step that would undermine sports.
Also read:'Be patient...don't take any step that would undermine sports', Anurag Thakur to protesting wrestlers
