Naresh Tikait, the farmer leader and President of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), arrived in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, to stop the protesting wrestlers from throwing their medals in the Ganga on May 30. Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia had reached the banks of the river earlier in the day, to give up their national and international medals as a gesture in their fight for justice against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the President of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), who has two FIRs registered against him for alleged sexual harassment of women’s wrestlers. The farmer leader has also sought five days from the wrestlers to help them in ongoing protest.
Asian News International (ANI), broke the news on their official Twitter account earlier this evening with a video tweet, which read, “Naresh Tikait arrives in Haridwar where wrestlers have gathered to immerse their medals in river Ganga as a mark of protest against WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations. He took medals from the wrestlers and sought five-day time.”
Watch the video here:
Shortly after the protesting wrestlers agreed with what Naresh Tikait had said to them while stopping them from throwing their medals in the Ganga river, they headed back from Haridwar. ANI shared the video tweet about the moment on their official Twitter account.
According to Hindustan Times, Naresh Tikait, the brother of BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, was quoted as saying about the proceeds ahead, “Entire Indian government is saving one man (Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh). There will be a Khap meeting tomorrow.”
“They (wrestlers) need to be practising on mats in stadiums but have been ill-treated and forced to sit at Jantar Mantar and now at sacred Ganga Ghat. In fact, action should be taken against Brij Bhushan. We are with truth and as farmers’ agitation had shown, sooner or later victory will be of truth," added Naresh Tikait.