Protesting Wrestlers Put Medal Immersion on Hold, Set Five-Day Deadline

Haridwar: A group of protesting wrestlers, including Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, gathered in Haridwar, Uttarakhand to immerse their medals in the Ganga River as a mark of protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The wrestlers accuse Singh of sexual harassment and demand his arrest.

However, their plan was halted after farmer leader Naresh Tikait intervened and requested a five-day delay from the wrestlers. Tikait took possession of the medals during this time.

The wrestlers had planned to throw their medals into the Ganga at 6 pm on Tuesday and subsequently stage a hunger strike at India Gate. They expressed their frustration on Twitter, highlighting the police’s treatment during their peaceful protests and subsequent arrests. They questioned why the women wrestlers had to hide throughout the day and accused the authorities of intimidating the victims instead of arresting the alleged perpetrator.

Feeling that their medals had lost their significance, the wrestlers deemed it akin to death to return them. They believed that the Ganga, being a sacred river, was a more appropriate place for their hard-earned medals than a system that had failed to protect them. The wrestlers vowed to sit on a hunger strike at India Gate until their demands were met.

Previously, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sangeeta Phogat were detained by Delhi Police while attempting to march to the new Parliament building for a demonstration. FIRs have been filed against them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.