International wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia were detained and their protest site of 35 days cleared by Delhi Police on Sunday as they tried to make their way to new Parliament building to hold a 'Mahila Mahapanchayat', an action that invited the wrath of both the Opposition and sportspersons.
The protest came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurating the new Parliament building, barely two kilometres away from the protest site, as the event started at around 12 noon.
The wrestlers had announced a women's 'Maha Panchayat' outside Parliament to press the government to act on their complaint of sexual harassment against Wrestlers Federation of India chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.
There was chaos at Jantar Mantar, the site of protest, as the protesting wrestlers and police personnel pushed each other as Vinesh, her sister Sangeeta and Sakshi tried to breach the barricades.
Police personnel immediately pushed wrestlers into buses and took them to different locations while an operation to clear the protest site started with removing the cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and tarpaulin ceiling.
Videos of Vinesh and Sangeeta being pushed to the ground by police officials went viral on social media. Vinesh strongly resisted the detention attempt while Sangeeta too joined her. Police dragged them to a waiting bus.
"The accused is roaming free. He is being given shelter by the government and athletes who won medals for the country are now being put in jail for demanding justice for the country's daughters...Welcome to the new country," Vinesh said.
Several politicians and sports persons came to the wrestlers' support. Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted with a video of Vinesh and Sangeeta being dragged by police, "the coronation is over - the 'arrogant king' is crushing the voice of the public on the streets!"
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "While on one hand Modi was preaching on democracy a few metres away, the real, hideous face of his government came to the fore."
Olympic javelin throw gold medalist Neeraj Chopra said in response to a video posted by Sakshi on Twitter, "I am pained to see this. There has to be a better way to deal with this."
TMC MLA and former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary said: "So, this is what you call Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav? Shame! The nation is with you, wrestlers!"
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "such treatment to the sportsperson who brought laurels to the country is grossly wrong and condemnable" while his West Bengal counterpart said, "it is shameful our champions are treated in this manner. Democracy lies in tolerance but autocratic forces thrive on intolerance and quelling dissent. I demand they be immediately released by the police. I stand by our wrestlers."
Rajasthan Congress MLA and 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games discus throw gold medallist Krishna Poonia said, "the most shameful video of Indian sports and democracy. I condemn the manner in which police dragged our gold medallist wrestlers who have brought laurels for our country and in this fight for truth and justice, I stand with my sisters," she tweeted.