CHENNAI: A day before their detention on Sunday, a delegation from the protesting wrestlers met Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. The delegation comprising Sakshi Malik and her husband Satyawart Kadian apart from a few other members apparently had prepared a seven-point demand letter. However, the meeting could not be fructified as the wrestlers demanded the immediate arrest of the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Sombir Sangwan, an independent MLA from Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, told this daily that a meeting took place on Saturday evening. “The demand letter was prepared in consultation with the wrestlers. I along with Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Gujarat, facilitated the talk between the home minister and the wrestlers. I told Shah about the demand including the arrest of Brij Bhushan. The only condition was that he will be arrested once the Delhi police submit a chargesheet in court as per law. But wrestlers wanted an immediate arrest and that was where the talks failed,” Sombir told this daily.
Sombir, who is also Sangwan Khap Pradhan (head), is one of the several Khap leaders who extended support to the wrestlers. One such Khap is Sarv Jatiya Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat. Its national president Dr Santosh Dahiya also confirmed the development but said that immediate arrest should have been made as a case has been registered under POCSO Act against Brij Bhushan. "How can they not arrest him immediately? The law says so," Dr Dahiya told this daily.
Even Dahiya was detained at her house in Kurukshetra, Haryana. She was supposed to join wrestlers for the 'Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat' scheduled to be held in front of the new Parliament building on Sunday morning. "I tried to leave my home at 4:30 in the morning but was not allowed. The cops deployed here asked me not to leave home and said I will be arrested and kept in the nearby police station if I don't abide by the order."
Dahiya said she has been trying to contact wrestlers but to no avail. "The oppressive tactics of the government will not be able to deter us from seeking justice for these champion wrestlers. I don't where they have been taken by the cops as I could not talk to them till now. But the protest does not end here. I will meet the wrestlers and chalk out future strategies with them. The mahapanchayat will be held. The venue and date will be announced soon. This action by the government has emboldened us not to give up. We will intensify the protest as now the whole country is standing with us," said Dahiya.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that wrestlers were detained separately after being whisked away from the protest site. Bajrang Punia has been detained at a police station near Mayur Vihar, Sakshi is in Burari. Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat were taken to Kalkaji.
"The accused is roaming free. He is being given shelter by the government and athletes who won medals for the country are now being put in jail for demanding justice for the country's daughters. Welcome to the new country," Vinesh told reporters before being taken away on a bus.
