The Delhi police today (May 28) have forcefully detained Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia while they were trying to move towards the new Parliament building for a women’s ‘Mahapanchayat’. After the protesting wrestlers were pushed into prison buses and taken to an unknown location, the police officers began clearing the protest site by removing the cots, mattresses and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the wrestlers from Jantar Mantar. The wrestlers had camped at Jantar Mantar agitating against BJP leader and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from April 23, demanding his arrest for sexually harassing several women wrestlers including a minor.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) condemned the authoritarian attack on wrestlers, farmers and women. It calls upon all democratic sections to rise up in protest against the shameful attack on democracy by the BJP Government. SKM warns the Narendra Modi led BJP Government that the struggle will be intensified and carried on till the sexual harassers are arrested and punished.
*Press Release | 28 May 2023*
*Black day for Indian Democracy | Shameful Attack on Democracy by the BJP Government*
*SKM Condemns the Authoritarian Attack on Wrestlers, Farmers and Women | Stop Repression of Democratic Protests; Release all Arrested Protesters*
The cowardly BJP Government led by Narendra Modi closed borders, arrested many activists and kept many under house-arrest since yesterday to stall democratic protest on 28th May, 2023 called by the women wrestlers supported by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha. Borders were closed to stop farmers and women from reaching Delhi. Ironically coming on a day the Prime Minister inaugurated the new Parliament, the measures saw unprecedented use of force. The women wrestlers and different sportsperson, women, farmers in support of their struggle against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP Member of Parliament accused of sexual harassment were dragged by police showing utter disrespect even to the national flags in their hands and taken to different police stations. Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Poonia and others who won medals for India were assaulted and arrested without any provocation. There is no news of their whereabouts till now. The protest tent where they had been carrying out a peaceful struggle was also totally destroyed by the police. Leaders of different women’s organisations including Subhashini Ali, Jagmati Sangwan, Annie Raja, Poonam Kaushik, Maimoona Mollah, and women farmers leaders Charanjit Kaur Dhurian and Davinder Kaur Hardaspura and others were detained. SKM is of the opinion that this exposes BJP’s anti-women, undemocratic character and how low they can stoop to protect people accused of sexual harassment. It shows the hollowness of the Prime Minister’s Beti Bachao slogan.
Thousands were coming in solidarity with the women wrestlers to attend the Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat. Repression was unleashed and thousands were arrested in Rohtak, Hisar, Bhiwani, Jind, Fatehabad, Sampla, Palwal, Gurgaon and other places. Women and farmers from Punjab were detained at Punjab-Haryana border near Narwana. They blocked the National Highway in Protest. Hundreds were detained at Gurudwara Manji Sahib at Ambala City. Many farmers were detained near Singhu border and taken to police stations in Sonepat. Farmers marching to Tikri border numbering about thousand were detained. SKM leader Rakesh Tikait and over 2000 farmers reached Gazipur border where they were stopped. Farmers were even detained from railway stations and bus stands.
SKM calls upon all democratic sections to rise up in protest. SKM warns the Narendra Modi led BJP Government that the struggle will be intensified and carried on till the sexual harassers are arrested and punished.
*Media Cell | Samyukta Kisan Morcha*
Contact: samyuktkisanmorcha@gmail.com