Delhi: Barricades trigger traffic jams amid calls for solidarity with wrestlers

The calls were made after wrestlers late on Wednesday alleged the Delhi Police personnel harangued, abused, and assaulted them

Barricades put up across the national capital on Thursday triggered traffic jams amid calls asking people to gather in larger numbers at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in solidarity with top wrestlers protesting against inaction over their sexual harassment complaints against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Bharatiya Kisan Union workers taking out a march in support of wrestlers. (PTI)

The calls were made after wrestlers late on Wednesday alleged the Delhi Police personnel harangued, abused, and assaulted them as some of the protesters were trying to move their beds to dry ground at Jantar Mantar after a rain. A protester was allegedly beaten up while wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik were abused.

Police said there was a confrontation between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and police trying to stop them from bringing in beds for the agitating wrestlers. AAP lawmaker Somnath Bharti and his supporters were detained. Police stopped Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal from visiting the wrestlers before saying individuals were allowed to visit the protest site.

The barricading, including at entry points to the city, triggered traffic jams at Alipur-Mukarba Chowk along the Delhi-Haryana border as well as at Uttar Pradesh-Delhi borders, Jantar Mantar and its surrounding routes.

Police were seen checking buses and other vehicles at entry points such as Rajokri and Singhu along the Haryana-Delhi border.

The Delhi Police earlier on Thursday asked all deputy commissioners to step up vigil to prevent large gatherings. “The aim is to prevent any law and order situation or a mob running wild. We are not stopping individuals from visiting Jantar Mantar,” said a police officer, who did not want to be named.

“Tractor Lekar Dilli Chalo” was one of the top trends on Twitter on Thursday as people were being asked to take tractors to Delhi to extend support to the protesting wrestlers. On social media, supporters of the wrestlers urging others to join the protest in large numbers.

One person was killed and hundreds injured when farmers on tractors protesting against the now-repealed farm laws in January 2021 diverted from the agreed routes for a march and clashed with police.

The Delhi Police on Friday last filed two first information reports (FIRs) in connection with sexual harassment allegations against Singh, who is also a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentarian.

The wrestlers are camping in Delhi for the second time in three months over the harassment charges. The said cases were not enough and wanted Singh to be arrested.