New Delhi: The protesting wrestlers, who are refusing to budge until action is taken against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, took out a candlelight march at Jantar Mantar on Sunday evening.
Leading wrestlers like Olympians Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are demanding the arrest of Brij Sharan, who is a BJP MP, over multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
Punia earlier urged people across the country to stage a candlelight march in support of the female wrestlers.
“Take out a candle march in the whole country today at 7 o’clock in the evening, there is an appeal to the entire countrymen that in this fight for the justice of our daughters of India, they will,” Punia tweeted.
Watch a video of the candlelight protest shared by ANI:
#WATCH | Protesting wrestlers hold a candlelight march at Jantar Mantar in Delhi
The wrestlers are demanding action against WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. pic.twitter.com/g0rhwBLlvy
— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2023
On another eventful day of the fortnight-long protest at Jantar Mantar, farmers and union leaders joined the wrestlers in big numbers earlier today and gave the Union government an ultimatum to take action against the WFI chief.
Setting a May 21 deadline, Khap panchayat leaders and wrestlers said if Brij Bhushan is not arrested by then, they will meet to decide the next course of action.
Two FIRs have been registered against Brij Bhushan, including one under the POCSO Act, after Supreme Court prodded Delhi Police.
Brij Bhushan, who has remained defiant notwithstanding the growing protests, reiterated that he would hang himself if even a single allegation against him is proved.
Brij Bhushan, the MP from UP’s Kaiserganj, urged farmer leaders to wait for the outcome of the probe and repeated his claim that he was being targeted as he had brought reforms in the selection process for wrestlers.
“From the first day I had said that if charges against me are proven, I will hang myself. Believe me, if daughters of your village are into wrestling, then ask them when no one is around if the allegations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh depict what Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is. After that, you can do whatever you want. But, one thing I would say with folded hands is that when the probe is complete, I will come to your khap panchayat. If I am guilty, you can beat me to death with shoes,” he said in a video posted on Facebook.
