Wrestlers protest: BKU leader Naresh Tikait to hold mahapanchayat; Kapil Sibal takes jibe at Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh 

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Naresh Tikait on Thursday will hold a mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar’s Soram village to discuss the ongoing protest by wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment charges.  

Rakesh Tikait will also address a mahapanchayat in support of the wrestlers in Aligarh’s Tappal police station area today. Police deployment has been beefed up in view of the mahapanchayat.  

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal took a jibe at Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Sibal said that the WFI chief’s threat to kill himself sounds familiar to PM Modi’s comments after the 2016 demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.  

Commenting on the entire issue, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the BJP government is handling it very sensitively and necessary action will be taken once the Delhi Police files the chargesheet.  

Wrestlers protest update: Here are the latest developments so far 

1. BKU leader Naresh Tikait, who is also the head of the Balyan khap, said the matter will be discussed in detail in the Mahapanchayat.  
2. Indian Farmers Union national president Rakesh Tikait will address a mahapanchayat in support of wrestlers in Aligarh today.  
3. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur said that the Central government is handling the situation “very sensitively” and necessary action will be taken once Delhi Police files a chargesheet in the matter.  
4. Anurag Thakur also took aim at the Opposition and said law is equal for everyone and all players are important to the government.  
5. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said in a tweet: “Brij Bhushan: ‘Ready to hang myself if single allegation proved’. Suicide? Doesn’t sound real! Sounds familiar: PM on notebandi said wait: …for just 50 days,… if shortcomings ready to accept any punishment… After 50 days, nothing happened then, nothing will happen now!” 
6. Olympians Sakshee Malikkh, Bajrang Punia, and Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, went to Har ki Pauri on Tuesday to protest against the WFI chief. They had threatened to immerse their medals in river Ganga.  
7. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has emphatically refuted these charges and said he will hang himself if a single allegation against him is proven in a court of law.  
8. Delhi Police said it does not have any substantive evidence to prove women grapplers’ allegations of sexual harassment against the WFI chief and to arrest him.  
9. Delhi Police also said that it will file either a chargesheet or a report regarding the entire issue in the court within 15 days’ time.  
10. Wrestlers, who are protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since April this year, are seeking arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other WFI coaches on charges of sexual harassment.  
11. They were removed from protest site on May 28 by the Delhi Police after the wrestlers tried to march to the new Parliament building.  

(With agency inputs)

Also read: From Jantar Mantar to new Parliament building to Haridwar: A timeline of wrestlers' protest route

Also read: Delhi Police won't allow wrestlers to protest at India Gate, may suggest these two sites: Report