Protesting wrestlers say government has a fortnight to act

The protesting wrestlers issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government for accepting their demands on Sunday as hundreds of community representatives converged at the Jantar Mantar sit-in venue.

Addressing the media at the site in the presence of around 2,000 supporters from khaps, farmer and women organisations, wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik said they were prepared for the long haul, without giving details on their course of action.

“If our demands are not met till May 21, some big calls will be taken. Our protest is still non-political and has not been hijacked by any group. We are prepared for the long battle,” Vinesh Phogat said.

Bhartiya Kisan Union’s Rakesh Tikait, Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s Baldev Singh Sirsa, and Mehar Singh Nambardar, head of Maham Chaubisi Sarv Khap, also briefed the media and pledged support to the wrestlers, who demand action against outgoing wrestling federation (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on their sexual harassment complaints.

“This will be a long battle but we are prepared to go the distance. The government once tested us for 13 months and knows we won’t shy away,” Tikait said to raucous cheer, referring to the farmers’ protest which ended in 2021.

Sirsa, a prominent face of that protest, added, “It is very clear who passed that test. We won’t back down.”

Over the past fortnight, the protest site has witnessed intense political activity with leaders of chief opposition parties — including Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal — visiting the wrestlers.

That has prompted calls that the protest has been taken over by the opposition with Brij Bhushan calling it a Congress-sponsored conspiracy. Brij Bhushan also said on Sunday that he would hang himself if any allegation levelled against him was proved.

Tikait said: “This is an entirely non-political movement. Even members of BJP support us in private. We do not want to politicise this movement. This protest will continue within these barricades, but I can assure you this will be a long battle and we are prepared for it.”

The wrestlers will be visited by representatives of various khaps daily from Monday, he said. “The protest will still be run by the wrestlers but these khap leaders will be here in solidarity.”

Sirsa announced that 5,000 people will come to Jantar Mantar on Monday to express solidarity with the wrestlers while Tikait vowed to make it a pan India protest. “We will force the government to arrest Singh and ensure all his family members who are part of WFI are removed,” Sirsa said.

“This protest is not limited to these wrestlers alone,” Tikait added. “It is a fight for justice and we shall take this movement to each district of the country.”

With the protest dragging on, there is a question mark over the training of Phogat, Tokyo Games bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and Malik. “We are obviously open for selection trials and competing. We’ve decided on our training plans and will try and train every day from Monday. We don’t want to miss training for a day,” Phogat said.

“Our demand has been the same from Day 1. We want Singh arrested. There has been no action against him despite his being named in two FIRs. Also, the recording of the victims’ statements under Section 164 of the CrPC has not started,” she added.

Candlelight march

On Sunday evening, the protestors took out a candlelight march on the Jantar Mantar road. The second such march — the first was on April 26 — was attended by about 2000 people, lasting about 30 minutes.

More than 2,000 security personnel from Delhi Police and paramilitary forces such as central reserve police force (CRPF) remained deployed at all the borders connecting Delhi with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh throughout Sunday. It was to ensure no tractors and trolley carrying farmers entered the Capital and reached the protest venue.

Senior Delhi Police officers said they allowed buses and private vehicles carrying farmers coming from the three states, mostly from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. No untoward incidents were reported, and nobody was detained.

Deputy commissioner of police (outer) Harendra Kumar Singh said that the deployment of security personnel at Tikri border was made early in the morning and the arrival of farmers in buses and private vehicles started from around 7.30 am and continued till noon. Nearly 900 farmers, mostly from Punjab, used the border to reach Jantar Mantar.

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