Several of India’s top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, were detained by police on Sunday as they intensified their protest demanding the arrest of their federation chief over sexual harassment allegations, Reuters reported.
The wrestlers originally hit the street in January demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has denied allegations of sexually harassing several female athletes.
The protest was withdrawn after Singh, also a member of parliament from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, was stripped of all administrative powers by the sports ministry.
The wrestlers resumed their protest on April 23 demanding Singh’s arrest and have since been camping near the new parliament building which Modi inaugurated on Sunday.
“They broke the barricades and didn’t follow police directions,” senior Delhi Police officer Dependra Pathak told local media.
“They broke the law, and that’s why they were detained.”
Malik, who won the women’s 58kg freestyle bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, shared photos and video of the wrestlers being dragged away by the police.
“This is how our champions are being treated. The world is watching us,” she tweeted.
She is Sakshi Malik, Padma Shri & Olympic medal winner for India.
She is protesting for justice for women wrestlers at jantar Mantar against BJP MP Brijbhushan singh
She wanted to go to New Parliament House as their alleged harasser Brijbhushan was at the inauguration function… pic.twitter.com/562wdp9abJ
— Dr Nimo Yadav (@niiravmodi) May 28, 2023