CHENNAI: An eerie silence followed the day of commotion as protesting wrestlers, who were dragged out of Jantar Mantar on Sunday before being detained by the Delhi police, stayed at undisclosed locations on Monday. Sakshi Malik, the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist, released a video on Monday evening vowing to continue the protest even as the protest site was taken over by Kuki women from Manipur to stage a demonstration against ongoing violence in their state.
“I would like to inform our supporters who are staying at different locations, who are waiting for us at Gurdwara that we spent the whole day chalking out future plans for our movement. We are not backing out. The protest will continue and we will keep you posted about the developments. I request you all to keep supporting us,” Sakshi appealed to supporters in a video message on Monday evening.
She along with Bajrang Punia, his wife Sangeeta Phogat, Vinesh Phogat and several others were detained by the cops when they attempted to move towards the new Parliament to hold ‘Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat’ on Sunday. It is learnt that they were taken to different locations and released separately but not before registering FIRs against them under various sections of the IPC and PDPP Act.
“We are trying to get in touch with these wrestlers but so far we are not able to do so. The future course of action can only be decided once we speak to them,” Dr Santosh Dahiya, national president of Sarv Jatiya Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat, which has extended its support to the wrestlers, told this daily.
Police action against the wrestlers drew widespread criticism with the opposition leaders and fellow players condemning the central government for the ill-treatment meted out to elite athletes. Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, India footballer Sunil Chhetri and former cricket all-rounder Irfan Pathan came out in support of the wrestlers.
Meanwhile, Sombir Sangwan, an independent MLA from Charkhi Dadri (Haryana), who tried to broker peace between the agitating wrestlers and the government, claimed the home ministry even offered two posts to these protesters in the upcoming elections of the Wrestling Federation of India. “The seven-point demand, which was prepared in consultation with these wrestlers, clearly mentioned the inclusion of these wrestlers in the federation. They were given a choice to pick two posts for which they would contest elections. It almost happened but wrestlers demanded the immediate arrest of sidelined WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh which led to the failure of the talks,” Sombir, who is also head of Sangwan Khap, said.
