Farmers' Outfit SKM To Hold Nationwide Protest On June 1 In Support Of Wrestlers

In a show of support for wrestlers demanding justice, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a prominent farmers' organization, has declared a nationwide protest scheduled for June 1. The demonstration aims to advocate for the apprehension of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), who stands accused of sexually harassing female grapplers.

The SKM, in an official statement, emphasized the significance of safeguarding the democratic right to protest for Indian wrestlers and all other segments of society. Their primary demand is the arrest of Brij Bhushan Saran Singh, highlighting the severity of the allegations against him.

To ensure maximum impact, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha will coordinate with various platforms such as trade unions, women's organizations, youth groups, students, and intellectuals to organise demonstrations throughout the country.

On June 5, coinciding with a rally planned by a group of seers in Ayodhya supporting Singh, the SKM will also conduct protests and burn effigies of the Wrestling Federation of India chief.

Furthermore, the Morcha expressed strong condemnation of the actions taken against wrestlers on May 28, which marked the "Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat" (Women's Respect Grand Assembly) called by female wrestlers. These athletes had been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar since April 23, demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Singh. However, the Delhi Police intervened and removed them from the site when they attempted to march towards the newly inaugurated Parliament building. Although briefly detained, the wrestlers were subsequently released.

Initially, the wrestlers had threatened to immerse their hard-earned medals in the river in Haridwar as a symbolic act of protest until action was taken against Singh. However, they postponed this action after farmer leaders requested five days to address the issue and seek resolution.