Huge meeting in UP tomorrow for Wrestlers after Haridwar pull-back

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

Muzaffarnagar, May 31, 2023: A powerful group of farmers has called a major meeting in the town of Sauram in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district on Thursday, to address the ongoing protests by some of the country’s top wrestlers, who have accused the head of their federation of sexual harassment.

 

Naresh Tikait, leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and head of the Balyan Khap, has announced that the wrestling protest will be the central issue discussed during the mahapanchayat at the historic Sauram Chaupal.

The wrestlers, who launched their protest in New Delhi in January this year, are demanding action against Brij Bhushan Singh, President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), who has been accused of sexually harassing female athletes.

In a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday, top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Asian Games champion Vinesh Phogat, gathered on the banks of the Ganges River in Haridwar.

They had threatened to throw their World and Olympic medals into the holy river in protest against the inaction towards Mr Singh, a member of parliament from the ruling BJP.

However, Mr Tikait and other Khap and farmer leaders managed to convince them to hold off, promising a resolution within five days.

Mr Tikait, in his message to the media, praised the athletes, saying, "Because of them, we hold our head high in the international sports arena. We will make sure they won’t have to hang their head in shame."

The mahapanchayat is expected to be attended by representatives of different khaps and their heads from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi to determine the next steps in the wrestling protest.

This comes after the Delhi Police detained several wrestlers on May 28 and filed FIRs against them for violation of law and order. The athletes’ campsite was cleared when they tried to move towards India’s new parliament building.

The United World Wrestling (UWW), the international governing body for the sport, has condemned the detention of the wrestlers and criticized the "lack of results" in the investigations against Mr Singh.

In its statement, the UWW reminded the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) of its promise to hold fresh elections for the WFI within 45 days, warning that failure to do so may lead to the suspension of the federation.

The UWW has also expressed concern about the athletes’ safety and plans to hold a meeting with the wrestlers to discuss their conditions.