BJP feels heat in Haryana as wrestlers prepare for protest on Parliament inauguration

Chandigarh: Many people in Haryana are quietly preparing for yet another stand-off with the Centre while still remembering the year-long farm protest.

While the Union government prepares to have a spectacular opening of the new Parliament building in New Delhi on Sunday, a number of organisations in Haryana, mainly farmers' organisations and khap panchayats, will congregate outside the building on that same day to organise a mahapanchayat. The state's wrestlers, who have been protesting at Jantar Mantar in the nation's capital since April 23 demanding the arrest of BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, will be there, Indian Express reported.

A kisan panchayat was held on Thursday at the Khatkar toll booth on the national Jind-Narwana highway in Haryana. At the occasion, Satya Pal Malik, a former governor of Jammu and Kashmir, appeared on stage alongside farmers' union representatives and a number of protesting wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat. Olympic medalists Punia and Asian Games gold medallist Phogat have been travelling over Haryana and adjoining states to solicit 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 causes the BJP a PR issue on the day that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the new Parliament building, one of his administration's most ambitious initiatives, the party has been under fire in Haryana.

Since April, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has begun organising "Jan Samvad (public connect)" programmes all over the state after sensing unrest, particularly in rural regions. He is staying three days in each area and engaging particularly with rural voters. Khattar has so far visited Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Palwal, and Bhiwani districts. On Friday, his Jan Samvad programme in the Mahendragarh district would come to a close. To date, the CM has visited more than 55 villages. The CM has concentrated on solving local municipal issues, ensuring prompt crop procurement, and clearing crop loss dues.