Wrestlers' protest: Women's panchayat at new Parliament building announced
With their 15-day ultimatum for Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's arrest over sexual harassment allegations ending on Sunday, the protesting wrestlers have decided on their next move. Star wrestler Bajrang Punia said it was decided at a mahapanchayat in Mehem Chaubisi khap in Haryana's Rohtak that a women's panchayat will be held at the new Parliament building next Sunday.
Why does this story matter?
Numerous Indian wrestlers have been protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar since April 23, demanding the arrest of Singh. Seven female wrestlers—reportedly including a minor—filed sexual harassment and intimidation complaints on April 21 against the chief of WFI, who is also an MP from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Several top politicians, khap mahapanchayat members, and farmer leaders have extended support to the agitating wrestlers.
4 decisions made at 'khap mahapanchayat'
Punia said, "They (mahapanchayat) have taken four decisions. Women's panchayat will be held...before the Parliament building on May 28," per PTI. He added, "On [Tuesday], we will hold candlelight march from Jantar Mantar to India Gate... It was promised that on wrestlers' call, khaps would reach the protest site within five hours." On Saturday, Vinesh Phogat said the khaps' decision "could hurt the nation."
We will go by what our elders suggest: Sakshi Malik
On the other hand, Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik earlier said, "We will go by what our elders (khap leaders) suggest." "In January, during our first sit-in, we were fooled by the government's assurances, so we thought it wise to leave important decision-making to our elders. We trust them to decide the best for us," news outlet Hindustan Times quoted her as saying.
Delhi Police stopped wrestlers from attending IPL match
Meanwhile, a fresh controversy erupted after Malik, Phogat, and Punia attempted to attend an Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings on Saturday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium to draw more support. However, they were purportedly stopped at the stadium's gate and sent back by the Delhi Police. Even though the wrestlers allegedly had tickets, they were denied entry.
Here's what Delhi Police said on matter
On the IPL match issue, the Delhi Police claimed that none of the wrestlers with valid tickets were barred from watching the match. As per a senior police officer, 10-12 wrestlers and their supporters arrived at the stadium to watch the match. However, only five of them had tickets, and those without passes or tickets were not allowed to enter.
Know about wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar
Notably, wrestlers returned to Jantar Mantar last month to resume their protest, calling for action against the WFI chief over sexual harassment allegations. Previously, they called off their agitation in January after assurances from the central government and the formation of the Wrestling Oversight Committee. However, they resumed their protest as no action was taken against Singh, and the committee's findings weren't made public.
