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Wrestlers defer plan to drop medals in the Ganga, serve five-day ultimatum to government

In an intense turn of events two days after their eviction from Jantar Mantar, the protesting wrestlers, who on May 30 gathered at Haridwar’s Har Ki Pauri to drop all their medals in the Ganga, were stopped by farmer leader Naresh Tikait who took the medals away and bought five days of time from the grapplers.

Emotional scenes were witnessed in Haridwar as India’s top wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, reached there along with supporters in the evening and sat at Ganga Ghat for more than an hour with their medals in the hands and tears in the eyes.

Earlier in the day, the protesting wrestlers released a statement announcing that they are going to drop their medals in the Ganga in their protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment.

They also said that they will begin an amaran anshan (indefinite hunger strike) at Delhi’s India Gate after giving away their medals.

Their attempt was, however, stopped after Mr. Tikait, president, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), arrived at Haridwar along with BKU volunteers and took the medal from the wrestlers and sought five days of time from them.

The wrestlers later gave a five-day ultimatum to the government to take action in the matter.

Meanwhile, police sources in Delhi said the wrestlers won’t be allowed to shift their sit-in to India Gate as the national monument was not a site for demonstrations and alternative places for their dharna will be suggested.

The wrestlers, who were removed by the Delhi Police from their Jantar Mantar protest site on May 28, had said they would drop their medals in the Ganga and sit on a hunger strike “until death” at the India Gate.

“India Gate is not a protest site and we will not allow them (wrestlers) to protest there,” a police source said.

“They have not approached us till now with any such request. If they want to protest, they will have to submit a written communication to the DCP concerned, following which a call will be taken accordingly,” he said.

The Delhi Police will suggest alternative sites that are designated for protests such as Ramleela Ground and Burari, the source added.