Jantar Mantar, the site of a month-long protest by top wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment, was engulfed in an eerie silence on Sunday.
The wrestlers’ demonstration came to a forceful end as Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Sangeeta Phogat, and Bajrang Punia, along with their supporters, were detained for breaching the security cordon while attempting to march towards the new Parliament building for a planned women’s ‘Mahapanchayat’.
The protest site now sits empty, with heavy police presence to prevent the protesters from regrouping.
The Delhi Police took steps to clear the protest site by removing cots, mattresses, coolers, fans, and the tarpaulin ceiling, as well as other belongings of the wrestlers.
Previously, the site had seen solidarity from farmers, khap leaders, and opposition party members. Now, only a handful of supporters wander around, awaiting the next course of action in their pursuit of justice.
Sakshi Malik took to Twitter to assert that their movement was not over and vowed to resume the protest at Jantar Mantar once released from police custody.
“In this country, there will be no dictatorship, but a protest led by women wrestlers,” she declared. However, it appears that the Delhi Police will not allow the wrestlers to return to the protest site. “Protesters will not be allowed to head back to Jantar Mantar,” stated a senior police officer.
Despite numerous inquiries, the police have not provided information about the number of people detained since morning.
Ajit (58), who arrived from Najafgarh to support the wrestlers and has been present at Jantar Mantar since 5 a.m., expressed his anticipation for the wrestlers’ return.
He pledged to offer them assistance and support in their protest once they are released.
Parvesh Nandal (38), a wrestling coach from Rohtak in Haryana, questioned the police’s selective actions, wondering why they had swiftly detained protesters and cleared the occupied protest site while failing to arrest the WFI chief. “Does the law only apply to those who fight for justice?” he asked.
Expressing outrage over the day’s events, Surendra Solanki, the president of Palam Khap, announced plans to convene a ‘maha khap panchayat’ soon.
He stated that hundreds of thousands of people would descend upon Delhi to demand justice for the wrestlers.
Solanki confirmed that if the police denied permission to reach Jantar Mantar, the protesters would gather there again without authorization, just as they had done previously.
Tensions escalated on Sunday when Vinesh Phogat, accompanied by her sister Sangeeta Phogat and other wrestlers, attempted to breach the security barricades.
A clash ensued, with both protesters and police officers engaging in shoving and pushing. Eventually, all the wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, along with their supporters, were detained and forcibly removed from the protest site.
Since April 23, prominent Indian wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat have been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding accountability from Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. (Edited)
