It is still early days, but the BJP may have a situation on its hands. Over 16 months after agitating farmers from across north India lifted their year-long dharna from the borders of Delhi, after the Centre withdrew its three contentious farm laws, anger is growing among the community as countdown begins for the 2024 general elections. The ongoing dharna by wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, over allegations of sexual exploitation, has started finding resonance in Haryana and neighbouring areas, as most of the sportspersons come from rural, farming families. From holding protests at local levels in Haryana, groups of khaps and farmer leaders have now started joining the sit-in protest by top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists, in Delhi. On Friday, more khaps plan to join them at the protest site. The protesting wrestlers include Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, who hail from Haryana. Expressing solidarity with the agitating wrestlers, a farmer leader from Haryana's Jind district, Azad Singh Palwa, said: “Instead of defending the WFI president, the BJP government should have got an FIR registered against him at once, as the allegations levelled against him are serious in nature.” Explaining the importance of sports in rural Haryana, Palwa said that in every big village, over 500 youths and children daily practise some sport. The number is no less than 50 even in small villages. Palwa said: “First, the Haryana government did not remove minister Sandeep Singh despite the registration of an FIR alleging sexual harassment on the complaint of a women's athletics coach. The minister was not even arrested in the case. Now, the wrestlers are forced to sit on a dharna to seek an FIR against Brij Bhushan.” Besides individual farmer leaders, leaders of khaps too have expressed anguish over the allegations against Brij Bhushan. Kandela Khap president Om Prakash Kandela said: “Who will send their daughters for education or sports if they face exploitation there? We will offer every possible support to the agitating sportspersons in their ongoing stir.” Those who have closely monitored the farmer agitation of 2020-21 say the absence of prompt action in serious cases, such as of sexual harassment of sportspersons, may revive sentiments among the community that their grievances are still being ignored. Many believe that the support by khap leaders to the agitating sportspersons is just an indication of the larger sentiments of people of the community. Azad Palwa says: “In the past few years, parents in rural areas have focused a lot on encouraging girls to participate in sports events. And they have performed well too. In such a scenario, absence of tough action against the accused gives a wrong signal.” Sensing the prevailing sentiment in rural areas, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik have already joined the sit-in protest in Delhi. INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala met the parents of Bajrang Punia on Wednesday. कुश्ती के खेल में अपनी प्रतिभा से दुनिया भर में देश और प्रदेश का नाम रोशन करने वाली हमारी बेटियों को इंसाफ के लिए जंत्र-मंत्र पर धरने पर बैठना पड़ रहा है, इस से ज्यादा शर्म की बात और क्या होगी। इस कठिन समय में इनेलो पार्टी देश की इन बहादुर बेटियों के साथ खड़ी है। सरकार जल्द से… pic.twitter.com/UJYSIFdcV7 — Abhay Singh Chautala (@AbhaySChautala) April 25, 2023 In the case of accused minister Sandeep Singh, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has insisted that “levelling allegations against someone and registration of an FIR because of that do not prove anyone guilty”. Khattar had earlier stated that resigning from the minister's post on moral grounds comes into play only if the person concerned thinks he has made a mistake. The state government has also reminded sportspersons that among states, Haryana gives the maximum cash prize money to medal-winning sportspersons. For Olympians, the state government gives a cash prize of Rs 6 crore to a gold medalist, Rs 4 crore to a silver medalist and Rs 2.5 crore to a bronze medalist. The state government Thursday also announced that reservation to outstanding sportspersons and eligible sportspersons in Group C posts has been extended to the departments of Jail, Forest and Wildlife, and Energy, in addition to Home, Sports and Youth Affairs, School Education, and Elementary Education.
