Chaos erupted during the protesting wrestlers’ march to the new Parliament as they scuffled with cops, were detained and dragged away. Despite being manhandled and being booked in a case, the athletes remained undeterred and said they were determined to press on with their ‘satyagraha’. Here’s a quick recap.
India’s top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, were detained and their makeshift camp at Jantar Mantar was cleared as Delhi Police cracked down on protesting wrestlers in the midst of their march to the new Parliament on the day of its inauguration.
Dramatic visuals emerged from the wrestlers’ protest march as hundreds of cops and paramilitary personnel blocked their advance towards Parliament House. As the protesters tried to breach the security cordon, a fierce tussle broke out – the wrestlers and cops pushed, shoved and grappled with one another.
For the past 35 days, the wrestlers have been staging a sit-in protest at the Jantar Mantar against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who stands accused of sexual harassment by several women grapplers, including a minor.