Wrestlers protest: Bajrang Punia & Co. detained for violating law and order, says Delhi Police

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Following the detention of Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and other protestors during the Wrestlers' Protest on Sunday, Delhi Police senior official said the wrestlers were detained for breaking the law and legal action will be taken against them soon.

Police personnel were captured on camera dragging away the wrestlers and their supporters, who started their march towards the new Parliament from the Jantar Mantar for the Mahila Mahapanchayat against BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

"They have been detained for violating law and order. We will take legal action after 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. The bottom line is, peace and tranquility will be maintained. We will ensure professional steps to see to it that nothing goes wrong."

Following the scuffle, Delhi Police removed all the arrangements for the wrestlers from the protest sites as it is speculated that the wrestlers' protest won't continue at Jantar Mantar anymore. Detained wrestlers meanwhile were pushed into buses and taken to different locations. While Bajrang has been detained at a police station near Mayur Vihar, Sakshi is in Burari. Vinesh and Sangeeta were taken to Kalkaji.

As per PTI, 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 Brij Bhushan on April 23, 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 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 officials dragged and lifted them into buses along with several other wrestlers and their supporters.

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

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. 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 athletes who won medals for the country are now being put in jail for demanding justice for the country's daughters. Welcome to the new country," Vinesh said from the bus window.

Bajrang feels grave injustice was being meted out to them for demanding justice.

"The accused has such audacity that he is talking about changing the POCSO Act and you are doing nothing against him and here are athletes who are demanding justice with folded hands and you are ill-treating them," he said.

"Over 2000 of our supporters were detained. Everywhere dictatorship is going on." Later, she tweeted, "Does any government treat the champions of the country like this? What crime have we committed?"

Sakshi also took to Twitter to vent out her anger against the government and the Delhi Police.

"This is how our champions are being treated. The world is watching us! Sexual abuser goon Brij Bhushan is sitting in the Parliament today and we are being dragged on the road. Sad day for Indian sports," the Olympic medallist wrote.

"Was it a crime to bring medals for the country? if yes, then hang us," she added.

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.

With inputs from PTI