Rumble of a dangal: Wrestlers gear up for Parliament inauguration day protest, BJP feels the heat in Haryana

On Thursday, a kisan panchayat was convened at the Khatkar toll plaza on the Jind-Narwana national highway in Haryana. At the event, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik shared the stage with leaders of farmers’ unions and several protesting wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat. Both Punia, an Olympic medalist, and Phogat, an Asian Games gold medalist, have been traversing through Haryana and neighbouring states to seek support for the mahapanchayat on Sunday.

At the event, Phogat criticised the lack of action against Brij Bhushan, saying, “When we won medals for our country, we were made to feel that daughters get immense respect in this country. But today, those very daughters are forced to sit on the roads seeking justice, and nobody is bothered. This is a fight for the honour of our Tricolour. A mahapanchayat shall be held outside the Parliament building on May 28.”

“We appeal to all the youth and the women of this country to reach New Delhi and participate in this mahapanchayat. We shall weed out all such people like Brij Bhushan, who are occupying key positions, not only in wrestling, but also several other sports federations,” she added.

While the mahapanchayat presents the BJP with a public relations problem on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to unveil the new Parliament building, one of his government’s most ambitious projects, the party has been feeling the heat in Haryana.

Sensing discontent, especially in rural areas, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has started holding “Jan Samvad (public connect)” programmes across the state since April. He is spending three days in each district and interacting especially with the rural electorate. So far, Khattar has covered the four districts of Bhiwani, Palwal, Kurukshetra, and Sirsa. His Jan Samvad programme in Mahendragarh district is set to conclude on Friday and to date, the CM has covered more than 55 villages. The CM has focused on addressing civic problems on the spot and ensuring timely procurement of crops and clearing dues for crop loss.

In Sirsa, the outreach events were disrupted for three straight days, including an incident involving a woman sarpanch who confronted Khattar and threw her dupatta (stole) at his feet. Subsequently, the CM blamed people of “a few political parties” for these disruptions and directed the administration to prevent these. Khattar also sought “action against those people who disrupt any other political party’s programme too”.

On the question of the mahapanchayat, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said, “The issue of protesting wrestlers shall soon be resolved. Both sides have agreed to their polygraph tests. Delhi Police is already investigating the matter. It is the opposition political parties like the Congress that are adding fuel to the fire. Wherever they (Congress) find anything happening, they reach there and instigate people.”

What has exacerbated the problem for Khattar is not only has the wrestlers’ protest galvanised the Opposition and received the support of the khaps and farmers’ bodies, but some in his party and ally Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) have also expressed their support for the protesters. The BJP leaders to have expressed their support include former Union minister Birender Singh, his son and Hisar MP Brijendra Singh, and Haryana power minister Ranjit Singh, an Independent MLA from Rania. Deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala has demanded the “strictest possible action” based on the FIRs against Brij Bhushan.

While Khattar has tried to deflect by saying the “issue is not related to Haryana”, the wrestlers’ protest may yet end up hurting the party on the ground and how the mahapanchayat on Sunday pans out will be keenly observed by the Haryana BJP since it may set the ground for a long and bruising contest in the electoral arena.