New Delhi: The Delhi Police beefed up the security on Sunday near the Singhu border, ITO road, and Tikri border area as Khap panchayat leaders and farmers are expected to join the wrestlers who are protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing female grapplers. Farmers’ groups are being stopped in Punjab’s Ambala from moving towards Delhi for the Mahila Mahapanchayat outside the new Parliament Building in New Delhi. Several farmers’ leaders, including Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, were also detained in Haryana’s Kurukshetra. The groups, mostly of women, had halted at Gurudwara Manji Sahib on NH-44 for an overnight stay when the place was turned into a fortress in the presence of a huge police force.
Khap leaders were detained from Rohtak, Bhiwani, Hisar, Jind and other parts of the state. Binain khap leaders were detained from Narwana railway station in Jind.
Police closed the entry and exit gates of the gurudwara along with large trucks parked on the roads leading to the area. BKU factions such as Charuni and Shaheed Bhagat Singh have warned the government to allow the groups to move or face protests.
The police said no protester will be allowed to move towards the new Parliament building as permission has not been granted to hold the mahapanchayat.
Wrestling body chief Singh on Saturday said that he is willing to face a narco test. He also urged the wrestlers who are protesting to not hold any kind of agitation near the new Parliament building, which will be inaugurated on Sunday. He said, “The country is getting a new Parliament building and it is a matter of pride. But I was saddened when I heard that wrestlers want to carry out their agitation near it. I urge these wrestlers that I am ready, ready for the narco test, ready for everything. But this (new Parliament inauguration) is a proud moment for us and they (wrestlers) should not create hurdles and the world must not get any wrong message.”
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat earlier said that the wrestlers will hold a women’s Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament building on May 28. She said, “We have decided to hold a peaceful women’s Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament building on May 28. Police have closed New Delhi but we request everyone to attend Mahila Panchayat…we will suffer all the atrocities by Police without any violence.”
