New Delhi, May 30 – In the latest move, all the protesting wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik will head to Haridwar on Tuesday evening to discard all their medals in the holy river Ganga.
The protesting wrestlers said after that they will come back to Delhi and sit on hunger strike at India Gate.
Taking to Twitter, Olympic bronze medallist Malik and other wrestlers, shared a note, in which they strongly condemned the Delhi Police action.
“We are going to discard our medals in holy river Ganga. These medals are our lives, our souls. There would be no reason to live after leaving them in the Ganga today. So, we will stage a hunger strike until death at India Gate after that,” read the statement in Hindi.
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The wrestlers said the Prime Minister “who calls us our daughters”, did not even once show his concern “for us”.
“Rather, he invited Brij Bhushan Singh to the inauguration of the new Parliament building. He even posed for photographs,” the statement said.
Top wrestlers, including Vinesh, Sakshi and Bajrang, are protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment of female athletes, including a minor.
The protest which started on April 23 at Jantar Mantar saw heartbreaking visuals on the day of the new Parliament building’s inauguration when Delhi Police cracked down on them in the midst of their march.
As the protesters tried to breach the security cordon, a fierce tussle broke out — the wrestlers and cops pushed, shoved and grappled with one another.
Wrestlers mess: HC seeks Delhi govt’s reply on which court will deal with minors’ plea
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of the AAP-led government and Registrar General of high court on which court will deal with the pleas of minor wrestlers seeking court-monitored investigation against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The wrestlers’ had approached the trial court seeking a court-monitored probe.
However, the Rouse Avenue Court sent a communication for clarification whether it can deal with the case or should it be with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court, which is Patiala House Court.
A bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma directed the high court Registrar General and the Principal Secretary, Delhi government to file their responses and listed the case for consideration on July 6.
Since April 23, prominent wrestlers, who have achieved glory at the Olympics and World Championships, were staging a protest at Jantar Mantar against the WFI chief.
On May 28, after Delhi Police cleared all signs of the wrestlers’ month-long protest, taking away items that the grapplers had brought to Jantar Mantar to protest against the WFI chief.
Several groups of farmers have also extended their support to the wrestlers.
On May 27, the police filed a status report on the application moved by the protesting women wrestlers against the WFI chief.
Appearing for Delhi Police, special public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava had apprised Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjit Singh Jaspal of Rouse Avenue Court that the statements of the ‘victim’ women wrestlers have been recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate.
CMM Jaspal directed the police to supply both the status reports filed on May 12 and May 27 to the complainants, who were also directed to supply a copy of the application to the police.
The court then posted the matter for next hearing on June 27.
In the wake of the allegations of sexual harrasment levelled against Singh by the protesting wrestlers, a Delhi court had on May 25 sought an action taken report (ATR) from the police on a complaint filed by a social activist and chief of Atal Jan Shakti Party, seeking registration of an FIR against wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik for pressing “false allegations” of sexual harassment against Singh.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Anamika of Patiala House Courts had passed the directions on an application filed on behalf of Bam Bam Maharaj Nauhatiya.
On May 12, the police had informed the court that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the sexual harassment allegations against Singh.
