Amid criticism, Delhi Police explains why it cleared wresters' Jantar Mantar protest site
The Delhi Police on Sunday removed tents and other installations set up by wrestlers at Jantar Mantar.
The Delhi Police on Monday said it was forced to remove the protesting wrestlers from Jantar Mantar in Delhi—the officially designated protest site—after they violated the law “in a frenzy”despite repeated requests.
The protesters disregarded rules and regulations, prompting the intervention of security forces, according to the police.
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"The dharna and demonstration of the wrestling wrestlers were going on smoothly at the notified place of Jantar Mantar. Yesterday, the protesters flouted the law in a frenzy despite all requests and requests. Hence, the ongoing dharna has been called off," the deputy commissioner of police, New Delhi, tweeted in Hindi.
The Delhi Police on Sunday removed tents and other installations set up by wrestlers at Jantar Mantar after they were detained for allegedly breaching the security cordon. The wrestlers were detained while trying to move towards the new Parliament building to hold a women’s ‘Maha Panchayat’.
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Several photos and videos have emerged on social media that showed personnel of the Delhi Police manhandling revered Olympians and Commonwealth Games champions during a peaceful protest march to the newly constructed parliament building.
The police action drew strong condemnation from the opposition leaders, who termed the act “barbaric," and demanded an explanation from the Union home ministry, They also demanded action against all police personnel who wrongfully and ‘in a brutal manner’ detained the wrestlers.
The aggrieved wrestlers have been demanding the removal of their federation chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from the position and his arrest in connection with the sexual harassment allegations.