‘Mahapanchayat’ in Muzaffarnagar to Address Wrestlers’ Plea on ‘Sexual Harassment’ by WFI Chief

A ‘mahapanchayat’ is scheduled to happen in Muzaffarnagar’s Soram village today, said BKU leader Naresh Tikait. The panchayat will be organised to discuss ongoing protest by wrestlers against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh over sexual harassment charges.

Amidst a dramatic Tuesday, renowned wrestler Tikait, the head of Balyan khap, announced that the matter would be thoroughly discussed in a mahapanchayat. On the banks of the holy Ganga in Haridwar, a group of esteemed wrestlers, accompanied by hundreds of supporters, threatened to immerse their World and Olympic medals in the river as a form of protest.

However, after persuasive discussions with Khap and farmer leaders, who requested five days to address their grievances, the wrestlers refrained from carrying out their plan.

Olympic medalists Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat joined the protest at Har ki Pauri on Tuesday, demanding action against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, who has been accused of sexually harassing several female grapplers.

After spending an hour and 45 minutes at the site, the wrestlers heeded the advice of various khap and political leaders, who urged them not to take such an extreme step.

Tikait announced that the mahapanchayat would involve representatives and heads of different khaps from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi, who will collectively decide the next course of action in support of the wrestlers’ protest.

On May 28, the Delhi Police detained the wrestlers and filed FIRs against them for violating law and order.