WFI Protest: Jantar Mantar Out of Bounds, Delhi Police Tells Wrestlers; Punia, Ex-Cop Spar Over 'Bullet' Warning

Wrestlers’ Protest LIVE Update: India’s top wrestlers including Sakshee Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia, among others, have been booked for rioting and other charges following a scuffle with security personnel after they were stopped from marching to the new Parliament building as it was being inaugurated.

The Delhi Police also cleared the site of wrestlers’ over-month-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar where they were protesting against BJP Member of Parliament (MP) and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment, including that of a minor. Police said the wrestlers will not be allowed to return to the protest site at Jantar Mantar in the national capital now.

Wrestlers Vs WFI Chief Latest Updates:

▶Protesting wrestlers ignored police warning that creating a ruckus during the opening of the new Parliament building would “harm national prestige” and will not be tolerated but they tried to march towards it, according to an FIR registered against top grapplers.

The FIR states at least 15 security personnel, a majority of them policewomen, were injured during the scuffle on Sunday between them and the wrestlers who also ignored police request to continue their protest at Jantar Mantar.

Police said the FIR was registered against her, Vinesh Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat, Bajrang Punia and others on the complaint of Head Constable Madhav, who was posted at the Barakhamba police station in New Delhi district.

▶A war of words broke out between wrestler Bajrang Punia and former Kerala director general of police (DGP) NC Asthana on Monday after the latter alleged that, if required, the cops can resort to “firing bullets” on the protesting grapplers.

“Will even shoot if necessary. But not because you asked for it. Currently, they have just been dragged and thrown away like a sack of garbage. Article 129 gives the police the right to shoot. Under proper circumstances, that wish will also be fulfilled too. But to know that it is necessary to be educated. See you again at the postmortem table!” Asthana wrote in Hindi while retweeting a news report.

Responding to the former cop’s tweet, Punia said he was ready to take bullets in his chest.

▶Delhi Police on Monday said if the wrestlers give an application for sit-in protest again in future, they will be permitted for the same at a suitable place other than Jantar Mantar.

“We provided all possible facilities to the wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar for the past 38 days. But yesterday they violated the law despite all requests made to them…They were detained and released by the evening,” said Suman Nalwa, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Delhi.

“If the wrestlers give an application for sit-in protest again in future, they will be permitted for the same at a suitable place other than Jantar Mantar,” she added.

▶On yesterday’s protest, wrestlers’ detention and an FIR against them, Olympian Sakshee Malikkh said, “The situation yesterday was bad. We wanted to march peacefully but they didn’t let us do that. There was barricading right from Jantar Mantar. They started pushing us back and detained us…They dragged us to buses. We didn’t riot, we didn’t damage any public property…”

▶When asked about a morphed photo of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat smiling in a police vehicle, Malikkh said, “those who are doing this have no shame at all. How does God create such people? Pasting smiles on the faces of girls who are disturbed…I don’t think they even have a heart. They are trying to defame us.”

▶As many as 700 people were detained from across Delhi on Sunday while they tried to march to the New Parliament building, while around 109 others, including the three wrestlers, were detained from the protest site at Jantar Mantar. Women detainees were released later in the evening.

▶Wrestler Bajrang Punia, who was also detained, called police action ‘unfortunate’ and noted that the same Delhi police that took prompt action against protestors took a week to lodge a case against the WFI chief. “It is unfortunate that a person accused of sexual harassment attended the inauguration of the new Parliament building…It took Delhi Police only a few hours to register an FIR against us but it took them seven days to register an FIR against Brij Bhushan Singh,” he said.

▶Elaborate security measures had been made after the wrestlers’ call for a women’s ‘Mahapanchayat’ outside the Parliament for which they did not have permission.

▶Chaotic scenes were witnessed at the dharna site at Jantar Mantar, barely three kilometres from the new Parliament building that was inaugurated by the prime minister, as protesters and police personnel shoved and pushed each other when the Phogat sisters, Sakshee Malikkh and others tried to breach the barricades.

▶Immediately after the wrestlers and other protesters were pushed into buses and taken to different locations, the police personnel began clearing the protest site by removing cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the wrestlers.

▶ Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dependra Pathak claimed the protesters ignored repeated requests and warnings and “wrestled” with police personnel who tried to stop them.

▶”Today was an important day for the country as the new Parliament building was to be inaugurated and despite warnings and repeatedly urging protesters at Jantar Mantar to not march beyond the protest site, they continued to do so,” he said, adding the behaviour of the wrestlers was “highly irresponsible”.

▶”They were out to disturb the preparations made by the security agencies…The detained protesting wrestlers will not be allowed to continue with their dharna at Jantar Mantar. The entire protest venue at Jantar Mantar has been cleared,” Pathak said.

▶Taking to Twitter, Olympic medallist Sakshee Malikkh, however, vowed to continue their sit-in at Jantar Mantar. “Our movement is not over…. we will start our satyagraha at Jantar Mantar. In this country, there will be no dictatorship but there will be satyagraha held by women wrestlers,” she tweeted in Hindi.

▶The police claimed the wrestlers broke and scaled the barricades, misbehaved and pushed the police personnel including the women constables. Later, the police filed an FIR against the protesting wrestlers and their supporters.

▶”The FIR has been registered at Parliament Street police station under New Delhi district against the organisers of the protest, including wrestlers Sakshee Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, and others who were part of the scuffle that took place at Jantar Mantar today with the police,” a senior police officer said.

▶The FIR has been registered under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the officer said.

▶Sections 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC and Section 3 (mischief causing damage to public property) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act has also been invoked, he said.

▶Taking to Twitter, Vinesh Phogat said while it took the Delhi Police seven days to register an FIR against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, it didn’t even take seven hours to book those who were protesting “peacefully”.

▶Security was heightened near the new Parliament building, at Jantar Mantar as well as at Delhi’s borders with neighbouring states and many farmer groups who were planning to join the wrestlers’ protest were stopped from entering the national capital.

▶ Several farmer leaders in Haryana were detained for a few hours, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) claimed.

▶A group led by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait held a sit-in at the Ghazipur border which was closed as they tried to enter the national capital to take part in a protest called by the agitating wrestlers. The protesters later dispersed.

▶Samajwadi Party MLA from Sardhana assembly constituency in Meerut Atul Pradhan was detained. Senior Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sajwan said the MLA and 20-25 people were subsequently released.

▶Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Raj Kumar Sangwan and district Congress chief of Meerut Avnish Kajla claimed that they were put under house arrest.

▶ Opposition parties slammed the central government over the “manhandling” of wrestlers, who had resumed their agitation against the WFI chief on April 23 demanding his arrest for alleged sexual harassment of several women grapplers, including a minor.

▶Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that the “arrogant king is crushing the voice of the people” on the streets as the “coronation” is over and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it is “shameful our champions are treated in this manner”.

▶ Many opposition parties have criticised authorities for not arresting Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP MP, and have expressed solidarity with the protesting wrestlers. The Delhi Police had filed two FIRs including one under POCSO Act against Singh, who has denied all the charges.

(With PTI inputs)