Security personnel near the protest site at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo:/The Hindu | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
A large number of people from different walks of life, including farmers from Delhi’s neighboring states and DU students, reached Jantar Mantar on Thursday and expressed solidarity with Wrestlers demonstrated there demanding the arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
many of them shouted support wrestlers, A day later a scuffle broke out between the mob and the Delhi Police personnel. Some wrestlers were injured in the ruckus that started late Wednesday night over the alleged installation of wooden beds at the protest venue. The wrestlers also accused a policeman of assaulting them in an inebriated condition, but the Delhi Police denied that they used force on the protesters.
Several videos of the tense situation were circulated on social media and wrestler Bajrang Punia in a press conference appealed to the farmers and their leaders to support them by reaching the protest site on Thursday morning.
The people who reached Jantar Mantar raised slogans like “Nari Shakti Zindabad”, “Pahalwan Ekta Zindabad”, “Jo Humse Takrayega, Chur Chur Hojayega”. Several farmer groups, who came from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, shouted “Jai Kisan Jai Jawan” and “Kisan Ekta Zindabad”, pledging not to leave the site until justice is delivered to the wrestlers.
“After what happened to our wrestlers on Wednesday night, we felt the need to support the daughters of this country who have won medals for India on the international stage. What happened yesterday was unfortunate. We have decided That is until justice is done.” Gave them, we will not move from here,” said Balbir Singh, a farmer from Amritsar.
Angrej Singh, another farmer who had come to Jantar Mantar from Kurukshetra, shared this sentiment and questioned the alleged brutality of the Delhi Police on the wrestlers, especially the women.
“After watching the video of this incident, I could not stop myself from coming here. To become a wrestler, one has to go through rigorous training, it takes determination and willpower to survive. These wrestlers sitting here have proved themselves at the international level. has proved.” Today, when they have accused someone of sexual harassment, instead of punishing that person, the police are harassing these women wrestlers.”
Wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, have demanded the arrest of a BJP MLA from UP, Brij Bhushan Singh, for allegedly sexually assaulting seven female wrestlers, one of whom is a minor. Singh has denied the allegations and accused Congress leader Deepender Hooda of hatching a “conspiracy” against him.
Delhi Police said they have beefed up security around the protest site and added that barricades have been put up in several areas of Delhi as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.
However, the farmers alleged that many of them were Being stopped by police at Delhi borders,
Along with the farmers, a group of students also joined the wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar.
These included Delhi University student Priyanka, who reportedly suffered injuries during a separate protest in support of wrestlers outside the Faculty of Arts. The students alleged that they were manhandled by the police on Wednesday, but DCP (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said they did not seek permission to protest and were removed peacefully.
Sitting on a wooden bed at Jantar Mantar on Thursday, Priyanka said that what Delhi Police personnel did to her, the way she was dragged and her hair pulled, prompted her to come to Jantar Mantar and join the protest. decided to. Wrestler.
She said, “I may be in pain, but I will still stand by my country’s wrestlers in their fight. I will stand here till they get justice.”
With a poster in hand that read, “Justice for the protesting wrestlers… Arrest the WFI chief for sexual harassment,” another DU student Pooja said, “This fight is not about a fraternity.” . This fight belongs to all the women of this country. The WFI chief should be arrested and his arrest will set an example and deter any man from doing such an act. Some women’s organizations and a group of lawyers also reached Jantar Mantar to extend support to the wrestlers. Several leaders of different political parties also met the wrestlers.