As khap panchayat leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana march to Jantar Mantar on Sunday to support the protesting wrestlers, Delhi Police has beefed up security at the protest site and at the border.
Top Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting for the past two weeks, demanding the sacking of Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan and his arrest on charges of allegedly sexually harassing female grapplers.
The protesting wrestlers hope that the khap mahapanchayat will be a huge success and help them gain more support in their fight against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Tikait) also extended support to the agitation and threatened to lay siege to New Delhi along with khap leaders if the MP was not arrested within one. week, The Indian Express reported.
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait is likely to be present. He posted a video on Twitter announcing that the khap leaders would hold a panchayat at the protest site to decide on the course of the protest.
Acording to some reports, additional deployments will be made and areas near Jantar Mantar will be barricaded. Delhi Police officials said there were no concrete security plans for the candlelight march, but said tractors and slow-moving vehicles trying to enter the border would not be allowed and measures would be taken to maintain peace and order.
Vinesh Phogat urged the supporters to be peaceful on Sunday to prevent bad elements from taking hold of the protest. She also asked the police not to stop their supporters.
Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia called on his countrymen to watch a candlelight march on Sunday to show solidarity with the protesting wrestlers. Punia said the two committees formed on Saturday have full powers to decide their future course of action.
Another Olympic medalist wrestler Sakshi Malik said they are yet to decide on their future course of action as their lawyers are still working on it. She also said that Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has yet to approach them.
“He already knows our requirements, so there is no point in meeting him again. If he wants to talk to us, we will definitely come to an agreement,” MalÃk told reporters.
Subhash Baliyan, general secretary of Sarv Khap, said that about a dozen khap panchayats have decided to join the wrestlers in their protest and will remain with them until their demand is met.
