New Delhi: Protesting wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, were arrested by the Delhi Police on Sunday after they tried to break the security cordon and march towards the new Parliament building. The wrestlers have also planned a women's mahapanchayat near the new Parliament building. Wrestlers and police officers pushed each other amid chaos at Jantar Mantar and Vinesh Phogat and her sister Sangeeta Phogat tried to break the barricades. Police detained all the protesters and forced them to sit in buses.
"They have been arrested for violating law and order," Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deependra Pathak said. We are going to take legal action after investigation. Police officials were also seen removing things from the protest site where the wrestlers had resumed their agitation against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on April 23. The Delhi Police has tightened security at Jantar Mantar following the wrestlers' call for a 'Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat'.
On Sunday, thousands of police personnel were deployed in the Lutyen's Delhi area and many people have also put up barricades. The protesting wrestlers, who were sitting about two kilometres away from the Parliament House, had said that they were going to hold their 'mahapanchayat' near the new Parliament building at any cost. However, the police have said that no protester is going to be allowed towards the new building as permission has not been given for it and the wrestlers should not indulge in any "anti-national activity". The agitating wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia, Sakshi and Asian Games gold-medallist Vinesh, are also appealing to outgoing WFI president Brij Bhushan , whom they have accused of sexually harassing several women wrestlers. The wrestlers have said that the use of force by the police will not stop them from peaceful marches and mahapanchayats.
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