New Delhi, May 29, 2023: India’s top wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, who had tried to march to the new Parliament building on Sunday, were first detained and later had FIRs filed against them for violation of law and order by the Delhi Police on a dramatic day in the capital. The police also cleared out the protest site at Jantar Mantar.
According to reports, the wrestlers have been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act.
The wrestlers did not have permission to move towards the new Parliament building, hours after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When they were stopped by police, an ugly scuffle broke out.
The high-handed action against India’s top athletes was condemned by opposition political leaders and a few sportspersons like Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra as scenes of wrestlers being dragged by security forces were witnessed. The wrestlers and their supporters breached the security cordon ahead of their march towards the new Parliament building for the planned women’s ‘Mahapanchayat’.
Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik’s team has posted a tweet saying Delhi police has detained the wrestler.
“Sakshi Malik has been detained by Delhi Police,” Sakshi Malik’s team put out a tweet from her account.
Videos showed a scuffle breaking out between protesters and police personnel even as the former tried to resist. In one of the videos, a few female police officers can be seen forcefully dragging a woman away from the protest site according to the reports published in indianexpress.com.
The wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar, about two kilometres from the parliament building, had said they will go ahead with their “Mahila Mahapanchayat” near the new building at any cost.
“Mahapanchayat will certainly be held today. We’re fighting for our self-respect.They’re inaugurating the new Parliament building today, but murdering democracy in the country.We appeal to the administration to release our people detained by police,” wrestler Bajrang Punia said.
Police, however, said no protester will be allowed to move towards the new building as permission has not been granted to hold the “Mahila Mahapanchayat”.
“We respect our athletes, but we will not let there be any disturbance in the inauguration (of the new parliament building),” Dependra Pathak, Special CP, Law and Order, told PTI.
“Mahapanchayat will certainly be held today. We’re fighting for our self-respect.They’re inaugurating the new Parliament building today, but murdering democracy in the country.We appeal to the administration to release our people detained by police,” wrestler Bajrang Punia said.
Earlier, Sakshi Malik has appealed to the international fraternity to extend their support to the protesting wrestlers.
“To all my international fraternity. Our Prime Minister is inaugurating our new parliament. But on the other hand, Our supporters has been arrested for supporting us,” she tweeted.
“By arresting people how we can call us “mother of democracy.” India’s daughters are in pain.”
“Democracy is being murdered openly at Jantar Mantar. On one hand the Prime Minister has inaugurated the new building of democracy. On the other hand the arrests of our people are on,” she said in a video posted on her social media accounts.
