“The government is willing to have a discussion with the wrestlers on their issues. I have once again invited the wrestlers for the same,” he said in his tweet on Wednesday.
Following this on Monday, a media report arrived stating that Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who have been leading the protest, have resumed their duties in the Railways. When asked if they had withdrawn from the protest, Malik said that the protest would continue and nobody was withdrawing.
Arrests on May 28 and the aftermath
On May 28, wrestlers had planned a march and protest in front of the new Parliament, despite the imposition of Section 144 in the area. They were detained on their way by the Delhi police, and an FIR was filed against them under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act. The Delhi Police also cleared the protest site.
The Delhi Police have registered ten complaints and two FIRs against WFI chief Brij Bhusan Singh.
However, The WFI chief has said that he will “hang himself” if even one accusation against him is true.
Widespread support for wrestlers
“UWW firmly condemns the treatment and detention of the wrestlers. It expresses its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations so far. UWW urges the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations,” the world wrestling body said in a statement.
Political parties like the Indian National Congress, Trinamool Congress and even the home minister of Haryana, a state ruled by a BJP-led coalition, have demanded a fair investigation of the matter.
On June 2, a mahapanchayat was organised in Kurukshetra, Haryana. Leaders of several farmer outfits attended it. They threatened to step up the agitation for the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and bring the protesting wrestlers again to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar if the government didn’t act within a week.
The Delhi Police had earlier said the wrestlers would not be allowed again to protest at Jantar Mantar after the confrontation during the march to the new Parliament building.
The BKU leader also announced a big panchayat at Shamli in Uttar Pradesh on June 11 if Singh is not arrested and more meetings from June 15 to 18 in Haridwar.
Hours before the khap mahapanchayat, sports minister Thakur said everyone wants justice for the wrestlers, but only after the due process of law.
“We will hold one Mahapanchayat and will give a call for that. We will decide on the venue. We want to bring everyone together for that Panchayat, we don’t want us to be divided,” he said.
Reports have also claimed that the charges of POCSO have been withdrawn from the FIRs, but the wrestlers have given no such confirmation.
(With agency inputs)
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