NEW DELHI — As top Indian wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat announced that they will sit on a hunger strike at India Gate, Delhi Police sources said that the wrestlers will not be allowed to protest at the national monument.
“No formal request has been received from the wrestlers thus far. To proceed with any demonstration, the wrestlers must adhere to the protocol by submitting a written communication to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) concerned. The decision regarding their request will be made based on the established guidelines and procedures,” a source said.
“India Gate is not a protest site and police will not allow wrestlers to protest there. We will suggest alternate site for protest including Ramleela Ground and Burari,” the source added.
In their latest move, all the protesting wrestlers, including Punia, Phogat, and Malik headed to Haridwar on Tuesday to immerse all their medals in the holy 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.
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.
Deepender Hooda appeals to wrestlers not to throw medals into Ganga
Congress leader Deepender Hooda on Tuesday appealed to protesting wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia not to go ahead with their decision to throw away their medals in the Ganga at Haridwar.
Rajya Sabha member Deepender Hooda, in tweet, said: “You have not got these medals with the grace of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, but you have got them through years of hard work and dedication,” he said.
The protesting wrestlers plan to throw their medals in the river Ganga in protest against the lack of action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the President of the Wrestling Federation of India, whom they have accused of sexual harassment. — IANS
