‘Naya desh mubarak ho,’ says Vinesh Phogat as police detain wrestlers before stir near new Parliament

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik & Bajrang Punia were detained ahead of all-woman mahapanchayat near new Parliament building. Cops also dismantled tents set up at protest site.

Vinesh Phogat being detained | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

SHUBHANGI MISRA, The Print, 28 May, 2023, New Delhi: India’s top wrestlers were detained by the Delhi police around midday Sunday ahead of the all-woman mahapanchayat to be held near the new Parliament building inaugurated earlier in the day by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The athletes, led by wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik, have been demanding the arrest of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation levelled against him by at least seven women wrestlers, including a minor.

“Naya desh mubarak ho (congratulations on the new country),” said Phogat as she was being taken away in a bus, a few kilometres from the new Parliament building.

Eight to nine buses filled with protesters have been taken to different police stations, ThePrint has learnt.

The police then removed all the tents, hoardings, even the Tricolour that the wrestlers had put up. The protest site at Jantar Mantar was emptied by the police who also took down all the arrangements the wrestlers had made for themselves.

ThePrint reached Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pranav Tayal for comment via calls and messages but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.

According to sources close to the wrestlers, while Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat were sent to Kalkaji police station, Sakshi Malik was taken to a police facility in Burari and Bajrang Punia was taken to Mayur Vihar by the police.

Sakshi Malik being detained | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

Addressing the media at Jantar Mantar Saturday night, Vinesh Phogat had said the protesters will not compromise on their demand for Brij Bhushan’s immediate arrest.

She further appealed to supporters, especially women, to reach the national capital in “large numbers” to attend the all-woman mahapanchayat, the call for which was issued by wrestlers after their agitation received the endorsement of an umbrella outfit of Khaps at the Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat held at chabutara (platform) of Meham Chaubisi last week.

The athletes have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since last month, which itself was a follow-up of their agitation against the WFI chief earlier, in January.

Only last week, thousands of supporters held a candlelight protest from Jantar Mantar to India Gate in the presence of heavy police deployment, marking a month of the agitation against Singh, the BJP MP from UP’s Kaiserganj. Singh has denied the charges.

On 19 May, the wrestlers marched from Jantar Mantar to Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in New Delhi to mark 25 days of their protest.

Two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered against Singh on 28 April following the Supreme Court’s notice to Delhi Police on a plea filed by the complainants.

In April, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will form an ad-hoc committee to conduct elections for WFI’s executive committee within 45 days of its formation, to manage day-to-day affairs of the body.

Opposition parties, farmers’ unions and khap panchayats have extended support to the wrestlers.

In response to the wrestlers’ protest, Singh plans to hold a rally in Ayodhya on 5 June which, he claims, will be attended by as many as 11 lakh seers.

(This is an updated version of the report)

(Edited by Smriti Sinha)