Haryana ‘maha panchayat’ issues ultimatum, demands Brij Bhushan’s arrest by June 9

Expressing solidarity with the protesting wrestlers in Delhi, farmers and representatives of Khap panchayats gave the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government an ultimatum on Friday, June 2. They have warned that the government will have to prepare for a larger protest if Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexually harassing female grapplers, is not arrested by June 9.

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 had gathered to seek justice.

Addressing a huge gathering, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait warned the Union 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 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the wrestlers, who were manhandled and detained during their march towards the new Parliament building, should be withdrawn.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 Cases against wrestlers should be withdrawn and the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh must happen,” added Tikait, the leader behind the year-long farmers' protests which forced the Union government to repeal its anti-farmer policies.