As soon as the grapplers were bundled into the police vans, police officers cleared the protest site by removing the cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the wrestlers.
Scenes of champion wrestlers, who won medals for the country, being dragged along the road and being bundled into police vehicles have drawn sharp response on social media. Many accused the government of turning a blind eye towards the protests by wrestlers while inaugurating the new Parliament building in the national capital.
A video posted on the Twitter handle of 2016 Summer Olympics Bronze Medalist Sakshee Malikkh showed scores of police personnel pulling the wrestlers in an attempt to detain them. Vinesh Phogat, Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia were eventually detained by Delhi police after they breached the security cordon while trying to move towards the new Parliament building for a planned women's 'Mahapanchayat'.
This is how our champions are being treated. The world is watching us! pic.twitter.com/rjrZvgAlSO
— Sakshee Malikkh (@SakshiMalik)As soon as the grapplers were bundled into the police vans, police officers cleared the protest site by removing the cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the wrestlers.
The champion wrestlers had resumed their agitation against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on April 23, demanding his arrest for alleged sexual harassment of several women grapplers, including a minor.
The visuals shared on Sakshee's Twitter handle evoked strong responses. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party condemned the 'shameful' manner in which the champion grapplers had been treated.
This is Satywart Kadian, CWG gold medalist and Arjuna awardee. See how several cops are dragging him.
(5/n) pic.twitter.com/BAUwmgSnlc
There’s a special place in hell for those who’ve been (mis)handling this wrestler protest!
Why should it EVER reach a disgraceful and cringeworthy scene like this for athletes who’ve brought glory to the country?
So upsetting https://t.co/Z62iwAweMF
Whatever, to repeat whatever, a state machinery may be playing at, to actively enable this treatment to ANY woman asking for justice on sexual harassment allegations , is despicable. Today these are Olympic gold medallists, tomorrow they could be our children. https://t.co/h4rRqkJAi8
— Mitali Mukherjee (@MitaliLive)One user said, "Absolutely shameful and horrifying that the wrestlers and those supporting them are facing brutal police action & arrest, while the accused against whom there are serious allegations of sexual abuse, roams around scot-free."
Another user wrote, "Why is Justice so distant from an ordinary citizen? The answer is in this video. Our female wrestlers on the street, who have bought us international pride, begging for justice, literally! What a sad sad day! Heartbreaking."
Why is Justice so distant from an ordinary citizen? The answer is in this video. Our female wrestlers on the street, who have bought us international pride, begging for justice, literally! What a sad sad day! Heartbreaking 💔 https://t.co/jDeATieelS
— Sayema (@_sayema)Absolutely shameful and horrifying that the wrestlers and those supporting them are facing brutal police action & arrest, while the accused against whom there are serious allegations of sexual abuse, roams around scot-free. https://t.co/V2UeVrZBYR
— Anjali Bhardwaj (@AnjaliB_)Meanwhile, a teary-eyed Vinesh, who showed maximum resistance, later said from a bus that they are being punished for demanding justice. "The accused is roaming free, he is being given shelter by the government and we athletes who won medals for the country are now being put in jail for demanding justice for the country's daughters," she said.
According to the live location shared by one of the wrestlers' supporters from the moving bus, they were being moved towards the Tikri border. In another video shared by the wrestlers, Sakshi's husband Satyawart Kadian and Jiternder Kinha were seen shouting the slogan 'Inqilab Jindabad' along with several others with the Tricolour in hand as the police vehicle whisked them away.