Farmers’ outfit Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will hold a nationwide protest on Thursday in support of wrestlers, demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The WFI president has been accused of sexual harassment of women wrestlers, including a minor. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, in a statement issued on Tuesday said the countrywide demonstration is being called “to secure the democratic right to protest by the Indian wrestlers” and all other sections of society and to “demand the arrest of Brij Bhushan”.
Trade unions, women, youth, students and all other sections, including intellectuals, are likely to join the protest called by SKM in support of the wrestlers, reported news agency PTI.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha, along with holding protets will also burn effigies of the Wrestling Federation of India chief on June 5, the day a group of seers in Ayodhya has planned a rally in support of Singh.
They also condemned manhandling of wrestlers at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar after they tried to march towards the new Parliament building following its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, May 28. Some of them were even detained and and later let off.
The women wrestlers had called ‘Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat’ on the same day but were forcefully evicted from the protest site, which has also been condemned by the morcha.
After the incident, the protesting wrestlers announced they would immerse their medals in the river in Haridwar as a mark of protest to demand action against Singh. But the grapplers did not carry out the threat after farmer leaders persuaded them and sought five days’ time to resolve the issue, reported PTI.
Since April 23, the wrestlers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of Singh, who has said that there is no evidence against him and he is ready to be hanged if any allegation is proved.