 "Wrestlers protest")
A scuffle broke out between protesting wrestlers and Delhi Police at Jantar Mantar during the late hours of Wednesday. The wrestlers alleged that they were manhandled by the police personnel.
The protest in the national capital follows sexual assault allegations against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Malviya Nagar Somnath Bharti was also detained from the protest site.
Delhi Police said that Bharti reached the area with folding beds without permission.
"During the protest at Jantar Mantar, Somnath Bharti came at the protest site along with folding beds without permission. On intervention, the supporters became aggressive in trying to get the beds out of the truck. Subsequently, a minor altercation took place in which Somnath Bharti along with 2 others was detained," the Delhi Police said in a statement.
In a video clip, Delhi Police personnel and protestors can be seen arguing over a foldable cot.
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#WATCH | Delhi: A scuffle breaks out between protesting wrestlers and Delhi Police at Jantar Mantar pic.twitter.com/gzPJiPYuUU
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2023
Speaking to the media from the protest site, Vinesh Phogat stated that Delhi Police officials "made them suffer".
"I would not want any athlete to win a medal for the country," she said.
VIDEO | "The way they have made us suffer, I would not want any athlete to win a medal for the country," says wrestler Vinesh Phogat. pic.twitter.com/EpSk6dc3ZL
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 3, 2023
Slamming the Delhi Police, Bajrang Punia said the protestors were in need of support from the whole country.
"We're in need of the support of the whole country, everyone must come to Delhi. Police using force against us, abusing women and doing nothing against Brij Bhushan..." he said.
#WATCH | "We're in need of the support of the whole country, everyone must come to Delhi. Police using force against us, abusing women and doing nothing against Brijbhushan...": Wrestler Bajrang Punia pic.twitter.com/krGrO7HlxM
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2023
Delhi police officials, however, said the police official was not drunk and that no protester was beaten.
“There were a few men who tried bringing cots to the protest site. They got aggressive and the protesters joined them. The protestors wrongfully restrained a policeman and accused him of being drunk. This is not true. Other officers are at the site and the situation is now under control. No protester was beaten up," a senior police officer was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
Why are India’s top wrestlers protesting
India's top wrestlers are staging an unprecedented protest against the WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh.
The sit-in at Jantar Mantar started on January 18 when the wrestlers levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Singh. Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, two-time world championships medallist Vinesh Phogat and Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik are the protest’s faces.
The protest, which was started in January, resumed in April after the wrestlers demanded that the Delhi Police register an FIR against Brij Bhushan. Let us take a look at how the saga has unfolded:
January 18: Wrestlers gather at the protest site in Jantar Mantar and level allegations of sexual harassment against WFI chief. Vinesh claims to have received death threats from WFI officials close to the president. The wrestlers allege that there is an atmosphere of “fear and intimidation” in national camps, and that some national coaches even act on Singh’s behalf. They call for Singh’s resignation and the dissolution of the WFI. Singh denies all allegations.
January 18: The Sports Ministry seeks explanation from the WFI and gives it 72 hours to respond. The ministry says action could be taken against the federation as per the provisions of the National Sports Development Code if WFI fails to meet the deadline.
January 19: BJP member and former wrestler Babita Phogat meets the wrestlers and promises to speak with the government. Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya, world championships medallist Deepak Punia also join the protest. Wrestlers from Haryana and Delhi also come out in support. However, they ask politicians to stay away from the protest. Wrestlers claim they are have evidence of sexual harassment and, if need be, will file an FIR against Singh.
January 19: Wrestlers meet Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his residence. The meeting lasts nearly five hours and ends in the wee hours, but no solution is found.
January 20: Wrestlers continue their protest and write a complaint letter to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha. They once again demand Singh’s resignation, formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the allegations, dissolution of WFI and appointment of a new committee to run WFI in cooperation with the wrestlers.
January 20: IOA forms a seven-member commission, led by multiple world champion and Olympic medalist MC Mary Kom, to investigate the claims.
January 21: Wrestlers meet Thakur again. After fresh deliberations, wrestlers call off their protest late at night after the sports minister says an Oversight Committee will be formed to probe the allegations and Singh will step aside till the probe is completed.
January 21: The WFI responds to the Ministry, denying charges of sexual harassment of female wrestlers by Brij Bhusan and instructors. “Not a single allegation of sexual harassment is accepted nor has ever been noticed nor found nor so far complained nor reported to sexual harassment committee to WFI, hence allegations to that effect are equally malicious and unfounded without being any truth in the matter,” it said.
January 21: Sports ministry asks WFI to suspend all ongoing activities with immediate effect, including a ranking tournament in Gonda and scheduled emergency AGM meeting of WFI. The ministry also suspended assistant secretary of WFI, Vinod Tomar.
January 23: The ministry appoints Mary Kom to lead the five-member Oversight Committee. The committee also included Olympic bronze medalist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former India badminton player Trupti Murgunde, former CEO of Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Captain Rajagopalan, and former SAI Executive Director (Teams) Radhica Sreeman. The committee was given four weeks to conclude the investigation. OC was tasked with overseeing WFI's operations during the period.
January 31: Protesting wrestlers complain they were not consulted on the names of the panel members. Babita Phogat was appointed as the Oversight Committee's sixth member.
February 23: The tenure of the Oversight Committee was extended by two weeks.
April 6: WFI announces election on May 7 following the submission of the Oversight Committee's report to the sports ministry. The report is not made public by the ministry. Singh, who completed three terms in office, says he will not contest for president's post.
April 23: Wrestlers Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik return to the Jantar Mantar protest site. They say seven female wrestlers, including a minor, filed a sexual harassment complaint against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at CP police station but Delhi Police has not registered FIR. They demand that police register a FIR against Singh based on the complaint and ask the Ministry to make public the findings of the Oversight Committee.
April 24: Sports Ministry says absence of a duly constituted Internal Complaints Committee under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act is one of the ‘major findings’ in the probe report of the Oversight Committee (OC). The ministry also declared WFI's election procedure 'null and void.'. In a letter to the IOA president PT Usha, the ministry asks the IOA to form an ad-hoc committee to conduct the WFI elections within 45 days of the panel’s formation and run the WFI during the period.
April 25: Wrestlers petition the Supreme Court seeking registration of FIR against Singh. The apex court terms the sexual harassment allegations against Singh as “serious” and issues notice to the Delhi Police asking it to file its response by Friday.
April 27: IOA establishes three-member panel. Usha says protesting wrestlers should have shown some discipline and, instead of taking the streets, should have approached the IOA
April 28: Delhi Police informs Supreme Court that it will register an FIR against the WFI chief. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha directs Delhi Police Commissioner to make an assessment of the threat perception to the grapplers and provide proper security to one of them (the wrestlers) who is a minor.
April 28: Wrestlers say they will continue their protest against the WFI chief until he is imprisoned.
(With agency input)
