Wrestlers protest: Sakshi Malik and others plan to throw medal in Ganga river in Haridwar today
Wrestlers in India denounced President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their lack of action regarding sexual harassment allegations against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
PremiumAggrieved by the government's response, the protesting wrestlers decided to throw their medals into the Ganga river in Haridwar on Tuesday at 6pm. They will then sit on an indefinite hunger strike at India Gate, New Delhi
Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik on Twitter shared the news. She slammed both President and Prime Minister for not hearing their grievances and turning blind eye to their miseries.
The wrestlers denounced President Draupadi Murmu's behavior, saying that being a woman she did not take any action when Delhi Police detained them.
They also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for focusing more on the opening of the new Parliament and allowing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to the event.
The wrestlers are against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.
"Prime Minister who calls us our daughters did not even show his concern for wrestlers. rather he invited the oppressor (Brij Bhushan) to the inauguration of the new Parliament building. He even posed for photographs in bright white clothes. We have been stained by this brightness," the statement said.
Several people from sports fraternity and opposition parties have extended their support to wrestlers including Abhinav Bindra and Neeraj Chopra.
On Sunday, Delhi police detained Malik along with World Championships bronze winner Vinesh Phogat and another Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and later filed FIRs against them for violation of law and order, as dramatic scenes unfolded at the protest site at Jantar Mantar.
Unprecedented scenes of police dragging the Olympic and world championships medal-winning players were witnessed when the wrestlers and their supporters breached the security cordon ahead of their march towards the new Parliament building for the planned women's 'Mahapanchayat'.
The wrestlers did not have permission to move towards the new Parliament building, hours after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and when they were stopped by police, an ugly scuffle broke out.
The protesting wrestlers and their supporters were taken to different locations in the national capital and later released.
After the wrestlers were pushed into buses, the police officers cleared the protest site by removing the cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the grapplers.
The Delhi Police said it will not allow the wrestlers back into the protest site.
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