New Delhi (ANI): India’s Olympic medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik along with her fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat were detained by Delhi Police while attempting to march to the new Parliament building where the protesting wrestlers planned to stage a demonstration on Sunday.
“Everything is visible in the video that when there are 20-30 constables stopping one wrestler then how can we do any sort of riots. We were just trying to tell them that please don’t take us away. We just want to do a peaceful march because nobody is listening to us but they forcefully dragged us inside the bus. We got scratches because of that. We didn’t do any riot, we didn’t damage any public property. We neither pulled nor pushed the barricading. We are doing our peaceful protest from day one and we were requesting them to let us go but we were not allowed to go, ” said Olympic medallist wrestler Sakhi Malik while speaking to ANI.
Earlier on Sunday, the protesting wrestlers who were trying to march towards the new Parliament from their site of protest at Jantar Mantar were stopped and detained by the security personnel in Delhi. Delhi Police earlier said that “unsocial elements” won’t be allowed to enter the national capital to ensure smooth conduct of the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building, said DCP, Sonipat East Gaurav Rajpurohit.
The wrestlers had announced that they planned to hold a women’s Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament as part of their protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan who has been accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers. Seven women wrestlers have filed a police complaint against him.
“Yesterday whatever situation panned out was very bad. We wanted to do a peaceful march but they did not let us do that. The barricading was only 10 steps away from Jantar Mantar. So, we requested to please let us go. Our elders have called up to do maha panchayat for woman’s dignity but barricading was done just 10 steps away. They started pushing us saying that you cannot move forward and in doing so they detained us and did not let us go forward. We told them not to put us inside the bus, we are moving peacefully but you must have seen in the videos that we were being forcibly pushed inside the bus. They detained us and released us by 6 pm in the evening, ” said Sakshi Malik.
Wrestler Sakshi Malik criticized those who have shown morphed photos of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat smiling in a vehicle after they were pushed inside the bus.
“You must have seen how badly our pictures are edited on social media. Those who are doing such things have no shame. I can’t believe that how can GOD make such human beings. They are trying to show that we are enjoying and smiling around. I don’t think that they have heart. They are heartless people. It feels terrible how IT cell is trying to defame us, ” said Sakshi Malik.
The Delhi Police have taken off all the tents where the wrestlers were sitting on protest.
“There is no future planning and we have not thought about it as yet. We are all badly disturbed and tired mentally and whatever will happen we will let you all know, ” said Sakshi Malik.
Delhi Police have registered FIR against protest organisers and others in connection with the scuffle that broke out at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
FIR has been filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act, said Delhi Police.
