Amritsar: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on Thursday said a delegation of the apex religious body of Sikhs will visit Delhi on May 29 to support the wrestlers who are protesting against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar.
SGPC senior vice-president Baldev Singh Qaimpur, general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal and executive member Gurinder Kaur Bholuwala will be part of the delegation.
Top wrestlers of the country, including Vinesh Phogat and Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, have been staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, demanding the arrest of Singh for allegedly sexually harassing seven women grapplers, including a minor.
Recently, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami had announced support for the protesting wrestlers. Now, a delegation of the Sikh body will visit Jantar Mantar on May 29, said SGPC general secretary Grewal. The SGPC has always stood with those fighting for the truth and it will continue to stand with them in the future too, he said.
Earlier, thousands of supporters of the wrestlers held a candlelight protest from Jantar Mantar to India Gate under extremely heavy security marking a month of wrestlers' agitation against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been accused of sexually harassing young athletes, including a minor.
Carrying the national flag, the protesters marched to India Gate, near the parliament building. People in large numbers joined the protest to show their support. They carried banners and raised slogans demanding Brij Bhushan's dismissal as chief. Bharatiya Kisan Union National Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait also arrived to join the candlelight protest by the wrestlers.
Security personnel were deployed at the protest site to maintain the situation. Khap Panchayat members also joined the protest. Indian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat said that the wrestlers have decided to hold a women's Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament on May 28. "We have decided to hold a peaceful women's Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament on May 28," she said.
Several ace grapplers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Mallik have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar accusing the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and demanding his arrest.
