‘Khap mahapanchayat’ sets Centre June 9 deadline for arrest of wrestling body chief, warns of nationwide stir | India News

NEW DELHI: The Centre needs to arrest Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by June 9 or face nationwide protests, said Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday after attending a ‘khap mahapanchayat’ in Haryana’s Kurukshetra.
The meeting was called to deliberate on the next steps to be taken in the agitation pertaining to the wrestlers‘ issue.

Top wrestlers have accused the WFI chief of sexually harassing female grapplers, including a minor. They have been holding a protest at Jantar Mantar for the past few weeks. On May 30, the wrestlers had going to Haridwar to throw their medals into the Ganga. At the last minute, Tikait intervened and convinced the grapplers to not go ahead with their plans. He had urged the wrestlers to give him five days to come up with another line of action.
Talking to reporters after the “mahapanchayat”, Tikait said the WFI chief must be arrested.

He said they are giving the government time till June 9 to act on the demand, else the agitation will be intensified by holding panchayats across the country and the wrestlers will return to Jantar Mantar in Delhi for protest.
Representatives of various khaps and farmers’ outfits reached the Jat Dharamshala from different places, including Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Farmer outfits had held a “khap mahapanchayat” in Uttar Pradesh and a series of protests in Punjab and Haryana on Thursday, showing solidarity with the wrestlers who have accused Singh of sexually harassing female grapplers, including a minor.
(With inputs from agencies)