Delhi police detain 3 wrestlers marching to new Parliament; clear protest site

New Delhi: In what could bring about a forceful end to the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar, the Delhi police on Sunday detained Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia for violation of law and order after they breached the security cordon while trying to move towards the new Parliament building for a planned women’s ‘Mahapanchayat.’

Immediately after the wrestlers were pushed into buses and taken to different unknown locations, the police officers began clearing the protest site by removing the cots, mattresses, coolers, fans, and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the wrestlers.

It seems the police will not allow the wrestlers back to the protest site though no official statement has been made in this regard. The police had warned the wrestlers not to move towards Parliament but they went ahead, leading to the scuffle.

The champion wrestlers had resumed their agitation against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on 23 April, demanding his arrest for alleged sexual harassment of several women grapplers, including a minor.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed at Jantar Mantar as wrestlers and police officers shoved and pushed each other when Vinesh Phogat, her cousin sister Sangeeta Phogat, and Sakshi Malik tried to breach the barricades.

Vinesh provided a strong resistance against her detention and Sangeeta clung on to her cousin sister while lying on the road as the struggle continued for a few dramatic minutes.

The police officers dragged and lifted them into buses along with several other wrestlers and their supporters.

“They have been detained for violating law and order. We will take legal action after an inquiry in due course of time,” said Dependra Pathak, special CP, law and order. “We need to assess the entire situation.

As you have seen, the barricades have been broken and they moved ahead despite request and warning. So that is why we have removed them from here,” he said. “The bottom line is peace and tranquillity in all situations will be maintained. We will ensure professional steps to see to it that nothing goes wrong,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Dependra Pathak urged the wrestlers not to indulge in anti-national activities on the “historic day” of the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Today is the inauguration of our new Parliament. It is an important day for our country and a proud moment. So any type of agitation or march on this day is anti-national. No way Delhi policy can afford any lapse. We respect and love our athletes but can’t allow any untoward incident,” he said.

Some police personnel also suffered injuries during the scuffle as one woman constable looked in discomfort and was out of breath.

The Delhi police had beefed up security at Jantar Mantar following protesting wrestlers’ call for a ‘Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat’ before the new Parliament building on Sunday.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal reacted to the video posted by Sakshi Malik on Twitter.

Punished for demanding justice

A teary-eyed Vinesh, who showed maximum resistance, later said from a bus that they are being punished for demanding justice.

“The accused is roaming free. He is being given shelter by the government and we athletes who won medals for the country are now being put in jail for demanding justice for the country’s daughters,” she said. Ironically, both Bajrang and Vinesh were detained just metres away from Brij Bhushan’s official residence at 21, Ashoka Road.

Thousands of police personnel were deployed and multiple layers of barricades were in place in the Lutyens’ Delhi. The wrestlers, staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar which is about two kilometres from the Parliament building, had said they will go ahead with their ‘Mahapanchayat’ at any cost.

Olympic medallists demand WFI president arrest

The agitating wrestlers, including the likes of Olympic medallists Bajrang, Sakshi, and Asian Games gold winner Vinesh have been demanding the arrest of the outgoing WFI president, who they have accused of sexually harassing several women grapplers.

The wrestlers had said that the use of force by police will not deter them from going ahead with their peaceful march and the Mahapanchayat. According to the live location shared by one of the wrestlers’ supporters from the moving bus, they were being moved towards the Tikri border.

In another video shared by the wrestlers, Sakshi’s husband Satyawart Kadian and Jiternder Kinha were seen shouting ‘Inqalab Jindabad’ along with several others with Tricolours in hand as the police vehicle whisked them away.

JNTU students stopped

A section of Jawaharlal Nehru University students alleged that the varsity authorities “prevented” them from taking part in the ‘Mahila Maha Panchayat’ by ramping up security on campus. The All-India Students’ Association (AISA) claimed that an “undeclared Section 144” has been imposed on the campus.

“Today, the Mahila Panchayat was announced. Heavy police deployment has been made inside and outside Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to prevent students from participating in it. The government has deployed its entire machinery to protect sexual violence accused,” said AISA activist Madhurima Kundu said.

She also shared a photograph of over half a dozen women police personnel on the campus. Kundu alleged that she was physically restrained as soon as she stepped outside the main gate.

Farmers stopped at Ghazipur border

Scores of farmers led by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait were stopped by the Delhi police at the Ghazipur border as they tried to enter the national capital to take part in the protest called by agitating wrestlers outside the new Parliament building.

“All the farmers have been stopped by the police. We will sit here for now and decide what to do next,” Rakesh Tikait, who spearheaded the anti-farm law protests, said after being stopped by the police at the heavily fortified Ghazipur border.

Inputs from PTI