Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Delhi police's action against the protesting wrestlers while they were attempting to carry out a planned march towards the new Parliament building, saying that the government is “mercilessly trampling the voices of women players under their boots.” In a tweet, Gandhi also said that the “arrogance of the BJP government has increased”.
Also read: Protesting wrestlers on being detained amid march: 'World is watching us'
“The medals bagged by the players are the pride of our country. With those medals, due to the hard work of the sportspersons, the honor of the country increases. The arrogance of the BJP government has increased so much that the government is mercilessly trampling the voices of our women players under their boots. This is totally wrong. The whole country is watching the arrogance of the government and this injustice,” Priyanka Gandhi wrote in Hindi.
At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new Parliament building, top wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, among others were detained by the Delhi police for allegedly breaching the security cordon and not following the directions issued by the law enforcement agency.
{{/usCountry}}At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new Parliament building, top wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, among others were detained by the Delhi police for allegedly breaching the security cordon and not following the directions issued by the law enforcement agency.
{{/usCountry}}Chaos unfolded at Jantar Mantar in the national capital as the wrestlers and police personnel shoved and pushed each other, with the protesting wrestlers trying to breach the barricades. Videos circulated on social media also witnessed the police dragging the protesting wrestlers forcefully and pushing them into police vans.
Also read: ‘Wrong and condemnable’: Delhi CM Kejriwal slams police action on protesting wrestlers
As soon as the agitating wrestlers were detained, the police began clearing the protest site - which is about two kilometres from the Parliament building - by removing the cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the wrestlers.
The wrestlers have been protesting against former Wresting Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, demanding his arrest for alleged sexual harassment of several women grapplers, including a minor.