Police “remove” makeshift tents of protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar; detain wrestlers who attempt march to Parliament

New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): Ace wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshee Mallik and Bajrang Punia were among others who were detained by Delhi Police on Sunday while attempting to march to the new Parliament building where they planned to stage a demonstration.

Delhi police have reportedly “removed” the makeshift tents placed by the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, sources said.

The wrestlers had announced that they planned to hold a women’s Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament as part of their protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan who has been accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers. Seven women wrestlers have filed a police complaint against him.

“We are not being allowed to enter and our people are being detained. He (Brij Bhushan) is sitting in parliament and we are being sent to jail,” said Vinesh Phogat said this morning. She also took to Twitter to post about the “murder of democracy.”

“On one hand the Prime Minister has inaugurated the new building of democracy. On the other hand the arrests of our people are on, ” Phogat tweeted.

Earlier Delhi Police said that “unsocial elements” won’t not be allowed to enter the national capital to ensure smooth conduct of the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building, said DCP, Sonipat East Gaurav Rajpurohit.

“We have deployed male and female companies at Delhi-Haryana border points to ensure unsocial elements are stopped from entering Delhi. Sonipat East Zone Police has not detained anyone so far. We will not allow people to enter Delhi if their motive is to disrupt the inauguration of the new Parliament House, our intelligence team is identifying such people,” added the DCP.

“We will not allow anything to disrupt the inauguration of the new Parliament building. The entire Delhi Police is on its toes to make sure the inauguration ceremony is conducted smoothly,” said Delhi Police Special CP Deepender Pathak.

Delhi Police increased the security in the national capital, including on its borders ahead of a march by wrestlers.

The Police barricaded all the borders of the national capital in order to prevent any protest or gathering.

“Delhi Police are prepared for such situations. We have enough force to deploy. Last time the border was closed for months because of the protesters (farmers’ protests). We have prepared our forces so that such situations do not arise again. We will convince the protesters to return,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Delhi Amrutha Gugulot told ANI.