Government will apologise to wrestlers, like it did to farmers: Former Governor Satya Pal Malik

In this series, the first mahapanchayat was held in Muzaffarnagar district of UP on June 1 followed by another such event in Kurukshetra of Haryana on June 3. The Mundlana mahapanchayat was organised on a call given by BKU senior leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni and was also addressed by Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad. All of them extended support to the wrestlers.

Seeking unity of different outfits – which have held separate mahapanchayats recently – Olympic medal-winning grappler Bajrang Punia announced that now the protesting wrestlers would call a mahapanchayat and its date will be announced within next 3-4 days. Punia also requested key speakers at the event not to announce any decision.

Referring to their earlier plans to immerse their medals in Ganga river, Bajrang Punia said: “These have left our wrestler sisters and daughters broken. We will hold one mahapanchayat and will give a call for that. We will decide the venue. We want to bring everyone together for that panchayat, we don’t want us to be divided.”

He said their battle was not for any particular caste, but for honour and respect. “If we remain divided, we cannot win.”
The wrestlers have been demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing the latter of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation.

Addressing the gathering, Malik said: “Brij Bhushan will be removed (from his post) and the government – which is supporting him – will also be removed in 2024 (polls), 100%.”

During the farmers’ agitation against three contentious central farm laws – which now stand repealed – at Delhi borders, Malik had spoken out against the BJP-led central government.

Stating how the Centre was forced to repeal the laws, Malik said: “Maafi mang kar wo kanun wapas karne pade (the laws were repealed after seeking apology).”

Urging the people to keep supporting the protesting wrestlers, the former governor said that “their demands will also be accepted by seeking apology and they will emerge victorious”.

Urging the wrestlers to visit Rajasthan, Malik said the people of Rajasthan are ready to extend support to them. He said: “After this meeting, I will be going to Rajasthan for the upcoming polls. They (BJP) will lose the Rajasthan polls.” Referring to the alleged dragging of wrestlers by the police during their protest in Delhi on May 28, Malik said, “You have seen it all. My blood boils seeing this. If you don’t remove this (BJP) government in 2024, you will stand removed. It will destroy agriculture, Army. It has already finished the Army by introducing Agniveer (scheme). It will block all our ways of remaining alive. If you remove it (BJP), certainly a good time will come for this country.”

Speaking on the 2019 Pulwama attack, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, Malik again attacked the Modi government reiterating his claim that the attack could be made possible only because the central government denied aircraft for the movement of security personnel.
Malik again claimed that after the February 14, 2019, Pulwama attack, PM Modi had asked him to stay silent on some alleged lapses he flagged.

Malik, who was the governor of J&K from August 2018 to October 2019, had earlier claimed that the Home Ministry refused to provide five aircraft requisitioned by the CRPF to ferry its personnel which resulted in a large number of security personnel moving by road in a convoy and becoming the target of a deadly terrorist ambush.

Malik said: “I would like to urge you – in the upcoming election, remind Pulwama (to the people) and reduce them (BJP) to ashes in the fire of martyrs…Had they (jawans) sought aircraft from me, I (then J&K governor) would have provided the same within 15 minutes. But they sought (help) from the Home Ministry which refused to provide aircraft. And they (jawans) perished in the terrorist attack.”

Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said: “Had Punia not requested to take any decision in today’s (Sunday) meeting, one decision they would have taken – and that was to give a call to people not to allow BJP leaders to enter villages. We stand in support of players and we assure them of any sacrifice they need from us. We will follow whatever they say. Since this agitation is of players, we will leave the decision to them. If they tell us not to allow BJP people to enter villages, we will make it happen.”

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad said there is great anger among people against the government for denying justice to the wrestlers.

Jayant Chaudhary alleged that never before has such an atmosphere been witnessed where the government is standing in support of the accused in the wrestlers’ case.