ON A day of excessive drama, the protesting wrestlers, led by Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, introduced on Tuesday that they’d ‘immerse’ their medals within the Ganga river, and reached Har ki Pauri in Haridwar by night.
After sitting in a huddle on the banks of the river for over an hour-and-a-half, the place a few of them could possibly be seen sobbing as they clutched their medals and citations, the wrestlers reversed their resolution, quickly after Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait reached the spot and requested them to defer their resolution by 5 days.
Protesting wrestlers sit at Har ki Pauri, in Haridwar district. (PTI)
Earlier than Tikait’s arrival, as the group on the ghat grew greater, a human chain of members of the family and different pehelwans shielded the wrestlers. Sakshi’s mom, Sudesh, held her daughter tight; Vinesh’s husband, Somvir Rathee, additionally a grappler, embraced her as she broke down and coated her face.
Somewhat over an hour later, as Tikait and his supporters arrived on the spot, the wrestlers and the farm chief went into a short huddle. And, minutes later, the wrestlers made their method to their parked automobiles.
The wrestlers stated there are a few the reason why they modified their minds, together with a cellphone name from a BJP chief asking for a while, and strain from the households to not go forward with their plans.
Wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia began the protest on Wednesday. (Photograph: Praveen Khanna)
“We have been assured that our calls for can be met, so we stepped again. Nevertheless, in case the federal government goes again on its phrase, we are going to return to the Ganga once more,” stated a wrestler who didn’t need to be named.
“We now have sought 5 days’ time and informed the wrestlers to attend. After that, we could have a mahapanchayat and take the following plan of action,” Tikait stated, after the wrestlers left Har Ki Pauri.
A Union Minister from western Uttar Pradesh can also be learnt to have reached out to the wrestlers and urged them to not ‘immerse’ their medals.
Talking to The Indian Specific later, Tikait stated he wished to make sure that the wrestlers didn’t take any step in anger. “Bacche gusse me wahan chale gaye the… Humne unhe manaya ki aap aisa mat karo…(They bought indignant and went there… we satisfied them not to do that),” he stated.
Sakshi Malik, in blue, an Indian wrestler who gained a bronze medal on the 2016 Summer season Olympics, is detained by the police throughout a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar. (PTI)
Requested if he had spoken to the federal government earlier than asking the wrestlers to defer their motion, he replied, “No.” Requested if he would accompany wrestlers on their means again to Delhi, he stated, “We’ll talk about this.”
Tikait, who’s the pinnacle of the Balyan Khap, stated he was at his residence in Muzaffarnagar until night, when he heard of the wrestlers’ resolution to go to Haridwar. He, together with different khap leaders and farmer leaders, then made their method to Haridwar.
“Nationwide president of Bhartiya Kisan Union and head of Balyan Khap, Chaudhary Naresh Tikait ji, and heads of different khaps are reaching Haridwar quickly to satisfy wrestlers. All wrestlers are requested to not take unsuitable steps,” tweeted Tikait’s youthful brother Rakesh Tikait at 6.28 pm.
Earlier within the day, in a typical assertion posted on their social media accounts, the wrestlers stated they have been taking the drastic step of parting with their hard-earned medals due to the way during which they have been handled by the police on Could 28.
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat and Bajrang Punia with supporters throughout their protest march in direction of new Parliament constructing, in New Delhi, Sunday, Could 28, 2023. (PTI Photograph)
Bajrang, Sakshi and Vinesh, who started their sit-in at Jantar Mantar on April 23, have been among the many over 700 detained on Sunday. They have been dragged, lifted off the highway and put into police vans after they tried to cross safety barricades and march to the brand new Parliament constructing, outdoors which a ladies’s mahapanchayat was scheduled. They have been later launched.
“All of you noticed what occurred on Could 28, the best way we have been handled and detained by the police. The police not solely cleared our protest space at Jantar Mantar, but in addition registered FIRs in opposition to us, even if we have been protesting peacefully. Have feminine athletes dedicated some crime by asking for justice for the sexual harassment dedicated in opposition to them? We now have been handled like criminals,” stated the assertion.
“These medals are our life and soul. After we ‘immerse’ them within the Ganga, there can be no that means for us to dwell. So we are going to go to India Gate and sit on a quick unto dying,” it stated.
The Delhi Police, nevertheless, stated the wrestlers wouldn’t be allowed to protest at India Gate as it’s a “nationwide monument and never a web site for demonstrations”. On Monday, the Delhi Police had stated the wrestlers wouldn’t be allowed again at Jantar Mantar however may protest at any “appropriate place” after searching for permission.
Wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat and Bajrang Punia together with different protesters
The selection to half with their medals was a tricky name and a matter of “self respect”, the wrestlers stated of their assertion.
Whereas they’ve been protesting on the streets of the Capital for over a month now, interesting to fellow sportspersons to rally behind them, turning to politicians for help and khap leaders for recommendation, and even making direct appeals to the Prime Minister, the occasions over the weekend pushed them right into a nook, forcing them to think about the drastic step.
It included failed late-night negotiations with the federal government and refined makes an attempt to interrupt the group, stated sources. The final straw was their forceful eviction from Jantar Mantar.
Based on sources, on the eve of their proposed march to the brand new Parliament, a high-ranking cupboard minister met Sakshi and her husband. Over the past-minute parleys, the federal government is learnt to have proposed that motion can be taken in opposition to Brij Bhushan after the police file a chargesheet. The wrestlers, nevertheless, have been steadfast of their demand for his rapid arrest.
Sangeeta Phogat and Vinesh Phogat being detained by police. (Specific picture by Amit Mehra)
With the police submitting FIRs in opposition to them on Sunday, the wrestlers stated they spent the entire of Monday hiding within the fields. “The authorities ought to have caught the accused, however they have been making an attempt to threaten the ladies who have been the victims to finish their protest and to interrupt them,” they stated.
The wrestlers are demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by seven feminine wrestlers, together with a minor. Singh has been named in two FIRs registered by the Delhi Police on April 28, together with one underneath the POCSO Act pertaining to the allegations of the minor wrestler.