The Congress and other other opposition parties, on Sunday, May 28, condemned the police action against the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi after they tried to march towards the new Parliament House building. Reacting to the Delhi police’s attempts to forcefully end the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “The coronation is over, the arrogant king is crushing the voice of the public on the streets!” He also shared footage of protestors being manhandled by the police.
The Congress leader’s comment comes in the wake of widespread anger after the police detained the protesting athletes, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshee Malik, and Bajrang Punia. The police also removed the tents installed at Jantar Mantar, where protests against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh were being held, over multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party President Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to condemn the police action “Such behaviour with our sportspersons who bring honour to the country is very wrong and condemnable,” he stated.
राज्याभिषेक पूरा हुआ - 'अहंकारी राजा' सड़कों पर कुचल रहा जनता की आवाज़! pic.twitter.com/9hbEoKZeZs
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 28, 2023
देश का मान बढ़ाने वाले हमारे खिलाड़ियों के साथ ऐसा बर्ताव बेहद ग़लत एवं निंदनीय। https://t.co/hoKX2ewlli
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 28, 2023
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, reacting to Sunday’s events, said, “The right to inaugurate the new Parliament was taken away from the President. Women players were beaten with dictatorial force on the streets. Three lies of the BJP-RSS rulers are now exposed in front of the country: Democracy, Nationalism, and ‘beti bachao’.
Remember Modi ji, democracy is not just about buildings, it is run by the voice of the public.”
नई संसद के उद्घाटन का हक़ राष्ट्रपति जी से छीना,
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 28, 2023
सड़कों पर महिला खिलाड़ियों को तानाशाही बल से पीटा!
BJP-RSS के सत्ताधीशों के 3 झूठ अब देश के सामने बे-पर्दा हैं
1. लोकतंत्र
2. राष्ट्रवाद
3. बेटी बचाओ
याद रहे मोदी जी,
लोकतंत्र केवल इमारतों से नहीं,
जनता की आवाज़ से चलता है।
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad too condemned the treatment of the protestors, saying, “It is scary. The one who was supposed to be caught and put in jail is roaming free. Those whose honour should be protected are being dragged down the streets of Delhi. We had heard about ‘Hitler's rule’ but now we are witnessing it in Modi ji's rule. To what extent will the Modi government stoop to save a criminal, have some shame.”
यह डरावना है। जिसको पकड़कर जेल में डालना था वो आजाद घूम रहा है। जिनके सम्मान की रक्षा करनी थी उनको दिल्ली की सड़कों पर घसीटा जा रहा है। हमने "हिटलर के राज" के बारे में सुना था लेकिन अब मोदी जी के शासन में उसे ही साक्षात देख रहे है, एक अपराधी को बचाने के लिये किस हद तक गिरेगी मोदी… pic.twitter.com/vFPdTnoMy5
— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) May 28, 2023
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also hit out at the Modi government saying that the arrogance of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has increased so much that it is trampling the voices of the women athletes under their boots. Priyanka said, "The medals on the chests of the players are the pride of our country. With those medals, due to the hard work of the sportspersons, the honour of the country was raised. The arrogance of the BJP government has grown so much that the government is mercilessly trampling the voices of our women athletes under their boots. This is totally wrong. The whole country is watching the arrogance of the government and this injustice." She also tweeted pictures of star wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat battling with the police at Jantar Mantar.
खिलाड़ियों की छाती पर लगे मेडल हमारे देश की शान होते हैं। उन मेडलों से, खिलाड़ियों की मेहनत से देश का मान बढ़ता है।
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 28, 2023
भाजपा सरकार का अहंकार इतना बढ़ गया है कि सरकार हमारी महिला खिलाड़ियों की आवाजों को निर्ममता के साथ बूटों तले रौंद रही है।
ये एकदम गलत है। पूरा देश सरकार के… pic.twitter.com/xjreCELXRN
What's the need for the new Parliament building if it can't give justice to the Wrestlers who are protesting?
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 28, 2023
It is unfortunate to know that few wrestlers have been detained for demanding justice.
We as humans and Indians should stand with them & voice their concerns.
They had…
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) faction Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi lambasted the BJP over the police action, saying that the government has shamed itself. In a tweet, she said, "World champions. India's daughters. Fighting for their honour. The MP continues to be protected. The GoI shames itself."
World champions.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) May 28, 2023
India’s daughters.
Fighting for their honour.
The MP continues to be protected.
The GoI shames itself. pic.twitter.com/Un3Pzo55Sd
Mahila Congress acting chief Netta D'Souza said that the pictures are telling of how the dignity of women has been protected in the last nine years of the Modi regime. "To suppress the voice of the daughters of the country, today the Modi government has crossed all limits of meanness. The government that gave the slogan of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is putting the daughters in jail while the guilty BJP MP Brij Bhushan is sitting in the new Parliament House as the apple of Modi and (Amit) Shah's eyes," she said.
ये तस्वीरें साफ़ बता रही हैं कि 9 साल के मोदी राज में महिलाओं की गरिमा की रक्षा कैसे की जा रही है।
— Netta D'Souza (@dnetta) May 28, 2023
देश की बेटियों के स्वर को दबाने के लिए आज मोदी सरकार ने नीचता के सभी सीमाएँ लांघ दी।
बेटी बचाओ बेटी पढ़ाओ का नारा देने वाली सरकार बेटियों को जेल में डाल रही है जबकि गुनहगार… pic.twitter.com/ZgbQdy4Zqs
Earlier in the day, Sakshi Malik had tweeted, “To all my international fraternity, our Prime Minister is inaugurating our new Parliament. But on the other hand, our supporters have been arrested for supporting us. By arresting people, how can we call us the ‘mother of democracy’? India’s daughters are in pain.” Sakshi has been tweeting visuals and images from the protest site.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal took to Twitter to condemn the police action. "This is Sakshi Malik. Olympics medalist, Padma Shri and Khel Ratna awardee. This is how she was dragged on the streets of Delhi today," Maliwal tweeted while sharing a picture of Sakshi Malik being forcefully taken into police custody. "This is Bajrang Punia. He is also an Olympics medalist and Padma Shri and Khel Ratna awardee. He has put his entire career on risk to fight for justice for women wrestlers. He too has been dragged and detained by Delhi Police," she wrote in another tweet with a picture of Punia being detained. "They are the champions of the country, not terrorists! Embarrassing," she said.
This is Sakshi Malik. Olympics medalist, Padma Shri and Khel Ratna awardee. This is how she was dragged on the streets of Delhi today. #WrestlersProtest
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) May 28, 2023
(1/n) pic.twitter.com/ArKAmtMChS
The wrestlers have been holding protests since April 23, demanding legal action against Brij Bhushan for the alleged sexual harassment. On Sunday, a scuffle broke out between the wrestlers and the police when the former were stopped while marching towards the Parliament. Multiple videos from the incident show the police manhandling the protesters. Meanwhile, multi-layer barricades have been installed from Jantar Mantar to the newly constructed Parliament building.