BJP labels protesting wrestlers ‘Khalistani’ as support grows in Punjab

India: The year-long farmers’ protest against three New Delhi-imposed laws has found an echo in the Indian wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, with BJP MPs labeling them as Khalistanis.

The wrestlers, who have received the backing of farmers’ unions and other civil society groups in both Haryana and Punjab, were detained by the Delhi Police on Sunday as they marched towards the new Parliament building and the protest site at Jantar Mantar was cleared.

The use of the term Khalistani to describe the wrestlers, most of whom are from Haryana, gained traction, especially online, after Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who has been accused of sexual harassment by seven women wrestlers latched on to an alleged statement of Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia, one of the protesters.

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“Punia has said he knows how to behead,” Brij Bhushan said. “Whose head does he want to behead? Can farmer leaders, the Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party support this statement? Whose language is this? The protest has been moving towards Punjab. It started from Delhi and is now gradually moving into Punjab. From there, to Khalistan, then Canada. This protest is not about wrestling.”

As the farm unions did during their protest, just over one month into their protest the wrestlers have begun harnessing the support of rural communities in neighbouring states, especially Punjab. In addition to the farmers’ unions, the wrestlers already have the backing of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC).

Farmers’ unions in Punjab were the first to extend support. The unions had arrived in Delhi shortly after the protest began last month. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dhaner) general secretary Harnek Singh Mehma said, “We will continue supporting the wrestlers until justice is served. It is not surprising that the Prime Minister has not said a word about this issue. The BJP leaders’ attitude towards women can be seen in the way they are handling this matter.”

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On Wednesday, wrestler Sakshi Malik met the Akal Takht Jathedar and sought the support of the Sikh community. Malik, accompanied by her husband Satyavrat, visited Takht Damdama Sahib Talwandi Sani and shared pictures of the meeting with the Jathedar on Twitter, saying, “Received the blessings of Shri Akal Takht Sahib’s Jathedar Singh Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh Ji today. The Sikh community has always been at the forefront of fighting for justice for our daughters, and they are still with us in this struggle for women’s respect. Waheguru Ji.”

Following these expressions of support for the wrestlers, Brij Bhushan moved quickly to allege a connection between the wrestlers and Khalistani sympathisers, using the strategy the BJP adopted when the farmers’ protests began. In November 2020, BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya associated the farmer protesters with Khalistan as soon as they reached the borders of Delhi. The attacks gained momentum following the violence in Delhi on January 26, 2021, when some of the farmer protesters hoisted a Sikh flag at the Red Fort.