Terming the intense protest by wrestlers an emotional drama, Wrestling Federation chief Brij Bhushan, who is facing cases of sexual harassment, has said there is no evidence against him and he is ready to be hanged if any allegation is proved against him. "If a single allegation against me is proven, I will hang myself. If you (wrestlers) have any evidence, present it to the Court and I am ready to accept any punishment," he said. "Even today I stand by the same thing. It's been four months, they want to hang me. Since the government is not going to hang me, they are going to throw their medals in the Ganga. I will not be hanged throwing medals in the Ganga. If you have evidence then go and give it to the police, give it to the court and if the court hangs me then I will be hanged. What's happening is just an emotional drama."
Wrestlers have intensified their protests in the national capital and had planned to immerse their medals in the Ganga on Tuesday, a plan that they later put off. Meanwhile, BKU leader Naresh Tikait said a 'mahapanchayat' will be held in Muzaffarnagar's Soram village on Thursday to discuss the ongoing protest by wrestlers against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh over sexual harassment charges. Tikait, the head of Balyan khap, on Tuesday night said the matter will be discussed in detail in the mahapanchayat.
On a drama-filled Tuesday, some of India's best wrestlers accompanied by hundreds of supporters gathered on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar, threatening to immerse their World and Olympic medals in the holy river, but refrained after being convinced by Khap and farmer leaders who sought five days to address their grievances.
Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat went to Har ki Pauri on Tuesday to protest the inaction against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief who has allegedly sexually harassed several women grapplers. However, after spending an hour and 45 minutes, they returned after several khap and political leaders urged them not to take such an extreme step.
Tikait said several representatives of different khaps and their heads hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab Rajasthan and Delhi will be participating in the mahapanchayat to decide the next course of action in the wrestlers protest. On May 28, the Delhi Police had detained the wrestlers and filed FIRs against them for violation of law and order.