Representatives from 360 villages of Delhi, accompanied by Ministers Gopal Rai and Saurabh Bharadwaj, on Wednesday reached Jantar Mantar to support the wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Mr. Rai said a mahapanchayat will be held at the protest site on Sunday. “Panchayats will be held in all Delhi villages on May 4, 5, and 6 to raise awareness about the plight of the wrestlers. These panchayats will culminate in a mahapanchayat, to seek justice for the wrestlers and their supporters.”
The protesters have been demanding the resignation and arrest of Mr. Singh, accused of sexually harassing several women wrestlers. The police have registered two FIRs in the matter, but no arrests have yet been made.
The AAP Minister added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not even find time to talk to the wrestlers, who had won the country medals in Olympics and have been on protest for 10 days regardless of the heat or the rains.
Mr. Rai also hit out at BJP MP from West Delhi Parvesh Sahib Singh, who alleged that AAP wanted to hijack the wrestlers’ struggle. He said the protest belongs to the country, not to any party or organisation. “I would like to challenge [the BJP] and ask them to join me here on May 7 and support our players if they are at all concerned about the dignity of their sisters and daughters. If the government does not discuss the demands of the players in a responsible manner, the mahapanchayat will declare the movement’s next plan of action.”
Mr. Bharadwaj said that the WFI is supposed to protect the wrestlers, and no family will accept it if the people running it instead start harming them. “Our daughters have been forced by the BJP MP to take shelter in tents for their rights. We will stay here till Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is arrested,” he added.
Support for the wrestlers galvanised in other parts of the city as well, with several students’ organisations holding protests in Delhi University’s North Campus. The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) said in a statement, “We are here today to announce to the country that people stand in solidarity with our wrestlers and we will fight with them till they get justice.”
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Protest site vacated
However, Delhi Police forced the students to vacate the protest site outside the DU Arts Faculty and detained around 30 protesters. It added that they had not sought permission for the agitation.
