Arrest WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by June 9: Haryana 'mahapanchayat'
Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Jun, 2023 01:08 PM
Chandigarh, June 2 (IANS) Farmers and representative of Khap panchayats, expressing solidarity with the protesting wrestlers in Delhi, on Friday gave the BJP government in the Centre an ultimatum to arrest Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexually harassing female grapplers, by June 9 or prepare for a larger protest.
A collective and unanimous decision in this regard was taken at the ;mahapanchayat' held in Haryana's Kurukshetra town on the future strategy of wrestlers' protest.
A day earlier a 'mahapanchayat' was held in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar where it was decided that a delegation would meet President Droupadi Murmu to seek justice for the wrestlers.
In Kurukshetra, khap panchayats (community courts) of Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi were gathered to seek justice.
Addressing a huge gathering, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait warned the Central government that if no action is taken against Brij Bhushan by June 9, they will hold a larger protest along with wrestlers.
"We have taken a decision that the government must address the grievances of wrestlers and he should be arrested otherwise we will go with wrestlers to Jantar Mantar, Delhi, on June 9 and will hold panchayats across the nation," he said.
At the same time, Tikait warned the Central government that if they aren't allowed to protest at Jantar Mantar on June 9, "there will be an announcement of agitation".
The farmer leader also demanded that cases against the wrestlers, who were manhandled and detained during their march towards the new Parliament building, should be withdrawn.
"We will not compromise on anything less than the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. If this does not happen, we will go to Jantar Mantar on June 9 and hold panchayats across the nation. Cases against wrestlers should be withdrawn and the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh must happen," Tikait, the leader behind the year-long farmers' protests and forcing the Centre to repeal them, added.
In his previous marriage to Inderpreet Kaur, which ended in a divorce in 2016, Mann has two children -- son Dilshan and daughter Seerat -- who are currently staying in the US with their mother. Both children had attended Mann's swearing-in ceremony at Khatkar Kalan on March 16.
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On receiving information about the incident, SP City Dinesh Kumar Singh, along with police force, reached the spot. The injured youths were sent to the hospital for treatment and the matter is being investigated.
The Chief Minister said the government is fully sensitive towards checking cross-border infiltration in Punjab. He said Punjab Police is constantly in touch with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies for this purpose.
While briefing the officers, the DGP said the topmost priority of the government, as directed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is to further strengthen the fight against drugs to make Punjab a drug-free state, besides eliminating the gangster culture, maintaining law and order, and detection of crime.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased, whereas Rs 15,000 as immediate relief for the injured. He said free treatment would be provided to the injured.
