Going to Haridwar to throw our medals in Ganga, say wrestlers

The ongoing wrestlers protest in the national capital has taken a new toll as Indias star grapplers Sakshi Malik Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat have declared to throw their medals in River Ganga in Haridwar on Tuesday eveningThe wrestlers took to Twitter and shared a post about the chain of events that have unfolded in recent days and the way authorities handled the situationThe protesting wrestlers said that they will visit Haridwar and throw their medals in the Ganga at 6 pm on Tuesday They said they will sit on hunger strike at India Gate after throwing their medalsIn their post the wrestlers said You saw everything that happened on May 28 how police treated us and the way they arrested us We were protesting peacefully our place has been taken away and the next day serious cases and FIR were filed against us Have the wrestlers committed any crime by demanding justice for the sexual harassment that happened to them The police and the system are treating us like criminals while the oppressor is taking jibe moving freely He is even openly talking about changing the POSCO ActSeveral ace grapplers including Bajrang Punia Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have been protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accusing him of sexual harassment and demanding his arrestThey also went on to question the fact that how the women wrestlers had to hide for the entire dayYesterday many of our women wrestlers were hiding in the fields The system should arrest the oppressor but it is engaged in breaking and intimidating the victim women to end their protest the grapplers saidThey further said that these medals are left with no meaningIt is not less than death for us thinking of returning medals but how can we live compromising our selfrespect We dont need these medals anymore If we speak against exploitation they prepare to put us in jail the wrestlers saidWe are going to shed these medals in the Ganga Our medals which we earned after hard work are as sacred as River Ganga These medals are sacred for the entire country and the right place to keep the sacred medal can be holy Ganga and not our unholy system which masquerades us and stands with our oppressor after taking advantage of us The medal is our life our soul We will sit on hunger strike at India gate till death the wrestlers addedOn Sunday Indias Olympic medallist wrestlers Sakshi Malik Bajrang Punia along with Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat were detained by Delhi Police while attempting to march to the new Parliament building where they planned to stage a demonstrationFIR has been filed under Indian Penal Code IPC sections 147 149 186 188 332 353 Section 3 of the PDPP Act said Delhi PoliceWe provided all possible facilities to the wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar for the past 38 days But yesterday they violated the law despite all requests made to them They were detained and released by the evening said Deputy Commissioner of Police Suman NalwaThe Delhi Police also removed the tents of the protesting wrestlers at Jantar MantarYesterday protesters violated the law despite all requests made to them That is why the ongoing sitin protest has been made to conclude If the wrestlers give an application for sitin protest again in future they will be permitted for the same at a suitable place other than Jantar Mantar said Delhi PoliceOn Sunday the protesting wrestlers trying to march towards the new Parliament from their protest site at Jantar Mantar were stopped and detained by the security personnel in DelhiThe Delhi Police earlier said that unsocial elements wont be allowed to enter the national capital to ensure smooth conduct of the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament buildingThe wrestlers had announced that they planned to hold a womens Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament as part of their protest against Wrestling Federation of India WFI president Brij Bhushan who has been accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers Seven women wrestlers have filed a police complaint against him