KURUKSHETRA/LUCKNOW: Turning up the heat on Friday, a sarvjatiya khap mahapanchayat held at Kurukshetra served an ultimatum to the government to arrest Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment by the protesting grapplers, and resolve the issue through a dialogue.The khap gathering set the deadline of June 9 for the government to act, failing which they threatened to march with the wrestlers to Delhi and resume the protest at Jantar Mantar.“The government should resolve such issues with dialogue.

He (Brij Bhushan) should be arrested.

Otherwise, we will take the wrestlers to Jantar Mantar to resume the protest and will hold panchayats across the country,” farmer leader Rakesh Tikait of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Arajnaitik) said.03:38Arrest Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh or face protests, Rakesh Tikait warns CentreKhap leaders, farmer groups and social activists from several northern states had gathered at Jat Dharamshala in Kurukshetra to decide on further action in support of the wrestlers.“Some hints have been received from the government side for a dialogue.

Responsible representatives of players and social organisations will hold talks with the government.

The government has taken one step forward as their meeting (Ayodhya Sant Sammelan) of June 5 has been cancelled.

We are ready to hold talks,” said Tikait.Claiming that the wrestlers were “frustrated” and were talking about “taking the next step”, Tikait said the security of players should be increased “so that they do not make any wrong decision”.

Their families were also receiving threats, he added.04:21Wrestlers protest: 1983 Cricket World Cup winning team backs protesters, says their grievances must be resolvedSpeaking exclusively to TOI in Lucknow, the farmer leader said the Kaiserganj MP did not deserve to be called a “Thakur”.

“The Thakur community has always respected women.

Singh is just a criminal...and he seems to remain unmoved by the serious allegations against him,” Tikait said.He categorically dismissed the speculations that BKU’s move to join the players’ stir was essentially aimed at setting off a Thakur versus Jat narrative in west UP ahead of the 2024 Lok sabha polls.“The agitation is not against any particular caste but against a man who misused his position to harass the women,” the BKU leader said, a day after representatives of khaps from UP, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi met in Muzaffarnagar’s Soram village on the issue of wrestlers protest.Tikait said khap representatives would meet President Droupadi Murmu to seek justice for the wrestlers.