Wrestlers Protest: Farmer Leaders Ultimatum to Centre, Arrest Brij Bhushan by June 9

New Delhi— Farmer leaders have served the Modi administration a deadline of June 9 to arrest the Chief of Indian Wrestling Federation, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The leaders said if Singh is not arrested by the given time , khap leaders would convene panchayats across the country to support the country's best sportsmen, who have accused him of sexual harassment.

A number of wrestlers, including Olympic medalists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia and two-time world champion medalist Vinesh Phogat, have been calling for BJP MP Singh's arrest for more than a month.

Following the Supreme Court's intervention, the Delhi Police filed two first information reports in April against the 66-year-old.

Later, Singh was to be detained by May 21 according to requests made by members of many farmer organizations and khap panchayats.

Rakesh Tikait, a leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, warned at a khap mahapanchayat in Kurukshetra, Haryana that the wrestlers would return to Delhi's Jantar Mantar if Singh is not detained by June 9. The wrestlers' camp in central New Delhi, where they had been since April 23, has been cleared by the police.

The mahapanchayat on Friday was convened three days after Malik, Punia, and Phogat threatened to throw their medals into the Ganga River in an effort to get their federation chief arrested. The farmer leader Naresh Tikait forbade the wrestlers from carrying out their threat and promised a resolution in five days.

Earlier in the day, Singh said that the police probe against him and the Supreme Court's "serious" orders caused him to postpone a gathering that was supposed to take place in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on June 5.

In a Facebook message, he thanked his supporters for helping him serve in the Lok Sabha for the past 28 years. "While in power and opposition, I have worked to bring people from all castes, communities, and religions together. These are the justifications behind my political adversaries' and their parties' unfounded accusations. By holding demonstrations in various locations to support provincialism, regionalism, and ethnic conflict, some political groups are attempting to undermine social cohesion.

At the rally, Singh was anticipated to share the dais with Hindu monks from Ayodhya. Earlier, the religious authorities had backed Singh's demand to amend specific parts of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

According to Rakesh Tikait, Singh gave in to pressure and called off his protest. They are aware of the khap panchayat's potential, Tikait remarked. The "Khap Panchayat can stop the whole system."

On the same day that information about the FIRs filed against Singh was made public, the decision to postpone the gathering was made.

Six wrestlers have made claims against Singh in one of the FIRs, while a young athlete has accused Singh of sexual assault in the other.

According to the FIRs, Singh harassed more than half a dozen female wrestlers and requested sexual favors from at least two of them in exchange for their professional assistance.

Singh has been accused of grabbing and touching them indecently by each and every complaint. According to the FIRs, Singh reportedly touched the wrestlers' breasts and stomachs on a regular basis under the pretense of monitoring their breath.