Wrestlers detained in violent clash as Jantar Mantar protest site gets cleared

The wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar came to a forceful end on May 28 when renowned athletes Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik were violently detained by security forces. The Delhi Police claimed that the wrestlers and their supporters had violated law and order by breaching the security cordon while attempting to march towards the new Parliament building for a 'Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat'.

Dependra Pathak, Special CP, Law and Order, stated, "They have been detained for violating law and order. We will take legal action after conducting an inquiry in due course of time."

Chaos erupted at Jantar Mantar as wrestlers and police officers engaged in scuffles and clashes. Vinesh Phogat, a two-time World Championships medallist, and her cousin sister Sangeeta Phogat attempted to push past the barricades, resulting in a heated confrontation. Despite resistance from Vinesh and Sangeeta, they were eventually overpowered and detained.

The tense exchange between security forces and the Phogat sisters was captured on video by Sakshi Malik, who took to Twitter to share the footage. Malik accompanied the post with a poignant caption, "This is how our champions are being treated. The world is watching us!"

Soon after the incident, the wrestlers and their supporters were forcefully boarded onto buses and taken to an undisclosed location. The police then proceeded to clear the protest site, removing cots, mattresses, cooler fans, and the erected tarpaulin ceiling.

Reacting to the turn of events, Vinesh Phogat sarcastically remarked, "naya desh mubarak ho" (congratulations on the new India), taking a dig at the government's slogan during the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

The wrestlers had reignited their agitation against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), on April 23, demanding his arrest. They have accused Singh of sexually harassing numerous women grapplers.

Amid heightened security measures, the Delhi Police had deployed thousands of personnel and set up multiple layers of barricades in Lutyens Delhi, nearly two kilometers away from the new Parliament site, to ensure the smooth functioning of the protest.