Wrestlers' protest: AAP leader Gopal Rai says mahapanchayat will be held at Jantar Mantar on May 7
New Delhi, May 3: Delhi minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said a 'mahapanchayat' will be organised at Jantar Mantar on May 7 to chalk out the next course of action for the wrestlers' protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.
Rai and his cabinet colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj visited Jantar Mantar along with representatives of 360 villages of Delhi, including Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Najafgarh, Matiala, Chhatarpur and Bijwasan, to extend support to the grapplers.
Rai, also the AAP Delhi convener, said a panchayat will be held in all villages of Delhi on May 4, 5, and 6, to raise awareness and get support for the protest. Then a mahapanchayat will be held on May 7.
"We all know the pride of the country, our players, have been protesting in Delhi for 10 days. The honourable prime minister did not have time to call them and talk to them," he claimed.
"If the government does not discuss the demands of all the parties in a responsible manner, the mahapanchayat will declare the movement's next plan of action on May 7," he said.
Rai said he wants to "invite" BJP leaders to the mahapanchayat.
"The mahapanchayat is not of any one party but is open to any party or organisation which wants to join this protest," he said.
Addressing the gathering, Bharadwaj said, "The people of these villages send their daughters to bring fame to the country. They send them in the hope that the president of the Wrestling Federation of India will play the role of a father to their daughters and their daughters will get respect in coaching and camps. But if the same people dishonour their daughters will any family tolerate it?" he asked.
"We cannot divide this movement on caste or regional lines. We all have come here for these daughters who bring laurels to the country. Till Brij Bhushan is not sent to jail, we will sit here in support of our daughters," he said
BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma earlier alleged the AAP has plans to "hijack" the wrestlers protest.
In a tweet in Hindi, Verma said, "Big news: At the behest of Arvind Kejriwal, Saurabh Bharadwaj held a meeting at 9 am on Tuesday with Aadil Khan, Durgesh, Neeraj and Sandeep."
"There is a plan to hijack the dharna of players. Adil has been assigned the task of buying clothes for mats, tents and turbans. After Shaheen Bagh, this. Kejriwal is behind all this," Verma said in a tweet.
Reacting to Verma's comments, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak said the BJP leader should speak against the WFI chief and not indulge in "dirty politics".
Speaking to reporters, Pathak said, "Parvesh ji should be ashamed of himself. He is doing dirty politics. Had his father Sahib Singh Verma been alive, he would have gone against the party's line and supported these girls. They have been sexually harassed. Parvesh ji should speak against his party MP."
The wrestlers have been staging a sit-in since April 23 alleging sexual harassment against the WFI chief, who is also a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh.
The protesters have been demanding criminal action against Singh for the alleged sexual harassment and intimidation of seven female wrestlers, one of whom is a minor.
Delhi Police filed two FIRs against the WFI president on Friday. The protesting wrestlers had moved the Supreme Court, seeking registration of FIRs against Singh.
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BJP takes out torch rally in Ranchi over women's quota bill
Ranchi (PTI): Jharkhand BJP on Tuesday took out a torch rally in Ranchi against the Congress-led opposition alliance for allegedly obstructing the implementation of the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha.
Led by the BJP women's wing, the 'Mahila Aakrosh Mashal Yatra' was taken out from Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Stadium to Albert Ekka Chowk.
Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu, who also took part in the procession, said, "By opposing the Women's Reservation Bill, the Congress-led opposition alliance in Lok Sabha has committed an injustice against women in the country. The people will never forgive them."
Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said, "Historic decisions are being taken to empower women under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the opposition is obstructing women's rights due to its narrow politics."
Jharkhand BJP women's wing president Aarti Singh said that the women of Jharkhand have now awakened and are ready to fight to any extent for their honour and rights.
