Tikait announces ‘mahapanchayat’ in Muzaffarnagar today
leader Naresh Tikait said a ‘mahapanchayat’ will be held in Muzaffarnagar’s Soram village on Thursday to discuss the ongoing protest by wrestlers against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh over sexual harassment charges.
Tikait, the head of Balyan Khap, on Tuesday night, said the matter will be discussed in detail in the mahapanchayat.
On a drama-filled Tuesday, some of India’s best wrestlers accompanied by hundreds of supporters gathered on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar, threatening to immerse their World and Olympic medals in the holy river, but refrained after being convinced by Khap and farmer leaders who sought five days to address their grievances.
Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat went to Har ki Pauri on Tuesday to protest the inaction against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief who has allegedly sexually harassed several women grapplers.
However, after spending an hour and 45 minutes, they returned after several Khap and political leaders urged them not to take such an extreme step.
Tikait said several representatives of different Khaps and their heads hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi will be participating in the mahapanchayat to decide the next course of action in the wrestlers’ protest.
On May 28, the Delhi Police had detained the wrestlers and filed FIRs against them for violation of law and order.
Meanwhile, outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Wednesday said he will hang himself even if a single allegation is proved against him.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP also said all wrestlers are like his children and he will not blame them as his blood and sweat have also gone into their success.
“I am once again saying that if even if a single allegation is proved against me, I will hang myself,” Singh said while addressing a programme at the Mahadeva auditorium in the Ramnagar area here.
“It has been four months since they (wrestlers) want me to be hanged, but the government is not hanging me. So, they were going to immerse their medals in the Ganga.
Brij Bhushan will not be hanged by throwing medals in the Ganga. If you have proof, give it to the court and if the court hangs me, I will accept it,” the Member of Parliament from Kaiserganj said.
“All the players are like my children. Until a few days ago, they used to call me the god of wrestling. When I took over as the wrestling federation chief, India was ranked 20th in the world. Today, after my hard work, India’s name is included among the five best wrestling teams in the world.
“I have lived wrestling day and night. Five of the seven Olympic medals (in wrestling) came to India during my tenure. The allegations levelled against me are baseless,” the outgoing WFI chief said.
He urged the people to join the “Jan Chetna Maha Rally” to be held in Ayodhya on June 5 in large numbers.
