Wrestlers’ protest: Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia detained throughout march to new Parliament constructing (Photo: Twitter/Bajrang Punia)
In what might carry a few forceful finish to the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar, the Delhi police on Sunday detained Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia for violation of regulation and order after they breached the safety cordon whereas attempting to maneuver in direction of the brand new Parliament constructing for a deliberate girls’s ‘Mahapanchayat’.
Immediately after the wrestlers had been pushed into buses and brought to completely different unknown places, the cops started clearing the protest website by eradicating the cots, mattresses, coolers, followers and the tarpaulin ceiling together with different belongings of the wrestlers.
It appears the police is not going to enable the wrestlers again to the protest website although no official assertion has been made on this regard. The police had warned the wrestlers to not transfer in direction of Parliament however they went forward, resulting in the scuffle.
The champion wrestlers had resumed their agitation towards former Wresting Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on April 23, demanding his arrest for alleged sexual harassment of a number of girls grapplers, together with a minor.
क्या कोई सरकार अपने देश के चैम्पियंस के साथ ऐसे बर्ताव करवाती है ? हमने क्या गुनाह किया है? pic.twitter.com/eUUxOA7tfw
— Bajrang Punia (@BajrangPunia) May 28, 2023
Chaotic scenes had been witnessed at Jantar Mantar as wrestlers and cops shoved and pushed one another when Vinesh Phogat, her cousin sister Sangeeta Phogat and Sakshi tried to breach the barricades.
Vinesh supplied a robust resistance towards her detention and Sangeeta clung on to her cousin sister whereas mendacity on the street because the wrestle continued for a number of dramatic minutes.
The police officers dragged and lifted them into buses together with a number of different wresters and their supporters. “They have been detained for violating law and order. We will take legal action after inquiry in due course of time,” mentioned 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. “The backside line is peace and tranquility in all scenario shall be maintained. We will guarantee skilled steps to see to it that nothing goes mistaken,” he added. Earlier in the day, Pathak urged the wrestlers to not indulge in anti-national activities on the “historic day” of inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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“Today is the inauguration of our new Parliament. It is an important day for our country and 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 mentioned. Some police personnel additionally suffered accidents throughout the scuffle with one girl constable appeared in discomfort and was out of breath.
The Delhi Police had beefed up safety at Jantar Mantar following protesting wrestlers’ name for a ‘Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat’ earlier than the brand new Parliament Building on Sunday. A teary-eyed Vinesh, who confirmed most resistance, later mentioned from a bus that they’re 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 country’s daughters,” she mentioned.
Ironically, each Bajrang and Vinesh had been detained simply metres away from Brij Bhushan’s official residence at 21, Ashoka Road.
Thousands of police personnel had been deployed and a number of layers of barricades had been in place within the Lutyens’ Delhi. The wrestlers, staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar which is about two kilometres from the Parliament constructing, had mentioned they may go forward with their ‘Mahapanchayat’ at any value. The agitating wrestlers, together with the likes of Olympic medallists Bajranj, Sakshi and Asian Games gold winner Vinesh have been demanding the arrest of the outgoing WFI President, who they’ve accused of sexually harassing a number of girls grapplers.
The wrestlers had mentioned that use of pressure by police is not going to deter them from going forward with their peaceable march and the Mahapanchayat. According to the stay location shared by one of many wrestlers’ supporters from the shifting bus, they had been being moved in direction of Tikri border.
In one other video shared by the wrestlers, Sakshi’s husband Satyawart Kadian and Jiternder Kinha had been seen shouting slogan ‘Inqalab Jindabad’ together with a number of others with the Tricolour in hand because the police car whisked them away.
