Wrestlers Protest: Khap leaders rally for 'Haryana Bandh' on June 14
1 min read 14 Jun 2023, 08:54 AM ISTWrestlers have received the support of khap panchayat, farmers, and some top-notch sportspersons such as Javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra.
PremiumThe villages of Bahadurgarh, supported by khap panchayats (clan councils) and individuals affected by the Haryana Rail Orbital Corridor, have issued a call for a Haryana bandh on June 14.
Bhup Singh Dalal, the leader of Dalal Khap 84, consisting of 84 villages associated with the Dalal clan, has called for the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), on grounds of sexual harassment allegations. In response, all khaps and farmer unions have jointly announced a 'Haryana Bandh' on June 14, demanding justice in this matter.
During a meeting held on Sunday, the villagers declared their intention to "disconnect" New Delhi from Haryana and obstruct the supply of essential commodities such as milk and vegetables. They also pledged to garner support for the nationwide strike called Bharat bandh on June 18.
The meeting took place on Sunday at the Mandothi toll plaza in Jhajjar, where a group of individuals has been holding a protest for the past 159 days, highlighting alleged irregularities in the compensation provided during land acquisition for the rail corridor. In the meeting, a 25-point agenda was discussed, and a committee consisting of 21 members, including village representatives, khap heads, and notable individuals from Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana, was formed.
Wrestlers have received the support of khap panchayat, farmers, and some top-notch sportspersons such as Javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra.
Punia said, "A panchayat of the players was called. We put forward what we had discussed with the government. The government has promised us that all investigations will be done by June 15. The panchayat also said that we will wait till June 15, but if nothing happens, we will call a huge protest".
Punia said that the government has promised the wrestlers that no one from Brij Bhushan's family will be elected to the WFI.
Meanwhile, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, one of seven female athletes to have lodged a police case against Singh, has slammed the pace of police in probing the matter.
The 28-year-old first Indian female wrestler to win both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games gold claimed that during training camps and tournaments, Singh would use "every possible way to single out young athletes and grope them repeatedly".