Wrestlers won’t yield, say khap leaders; will meet President, Govt to resolve issue: BKU leader

Announcing decisions taken on Thursday, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said, “Several decisions have been taken; they have been kept reserved. The panchayat, however, has asked [me] to announce one decision: that a khap delegation will meet the President; the government.”

He said the other decisions will be announced in Kurukshetra on Friday.

Protesting wrestlers sit at Har ki Pauri, in Haridwar district. (PTI)

“The fight will continue. The khap panchayat and the wrestlers will not will not concede defeat,” Tikait, who had also led the protest against the Centre’s three farm laws on Delhi’s Ghazipur border, said. He questioned the delay in the arrest of Singh, who is also a BJP MP.

The panchayat was attended by leaders representing 30 to 35 khaps of various castes from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. The panchayat was called by BKU national president Naresh Tikait, who had on Tuesday rushed to Haridwar and persuaded the wrestlers to defer for five days their plan to throw their medals in the Ganga in protest against what they dubbed as the government’s inaction.

Addressing the gathering, Naresh Tikait said, “Samadhan tak sangharsh jaari rahega (the fight will continue until the issue is resolved).”

In his brief speech, Rakesh Tikait alleged that the government is “dividing” the people. “A controversy has been created between Thakurs and Gujjars (communities)…. This is a new controversy.”

Sangeeta Phogat and Vinesh Phogat being detained by police. (Express photo by Amit Mehra)

Stating that people should understand the government’s “tricks”, Tikait said, “Pehle Hindu-Muslim kara; Bihar mein jakar Lalu Prasad ka pariwar toda; yahan (UP) par Mulayam Singh ka toda; Uttar Pradesh mein Hindu-Muslim card…. Maharashtra mein Maratha-non-Maratha kiya…inko desh ko jodna nahin (aata hai) — pehle dharm mein baanta, ab jaati mein baantenge (First it was Hindu-Muslim division; then Lalu Prasad’s family was divided in Bihar; in UP, Mulayam Singh’s family was divided; the Hindu-Muslim card is being playing in UP…. In Maharashtra, it is Maratha versus non-Maratha. They don’t want to unite the country — first they divided people in the name of religion, now they are dividing them on the basis of caste).”

Alleging that “they” — an indication towards BJP leaders without taking names — are now talking about the “caste” of the protesters, Tikait said the wrestlers belong to one caste: “The Tiranga caste”. And all those who work for the country belong to this Tiranga caste, he added.

He said the protest will be taken forward, and if the wrestlers do not get justice, “then we will fight across the country”. A committee of khap leaders will be formed, and it will meet the President, the Union Home Minister and “whoever is required to be met”, Tikait said.

It is learnt that the panchayat took this decision after a “hint” from the Centre about the possibility of a meeting with a senior Union minister.

In response to a question, Naresh Tikait said he has spoken with Union minister Sanjeev Balyan and Baghpat MP Satyapal Singh on this issue.

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat and Bajrang Punia with supporters during their protest march towards new Parliament building, in New Delhi, Sunday, May 28, 2023. (PTI Photo)

Earlier in the day, more than 30 khap leaders addressed the panchayat and slammed the government for not taking any action against Lok Sabha MP Brij Bhushan Singh. The protesting wrestlers were not present in the panchayat.