WFI row: Protesting wrestlers booked for 'rioting,' over 800 detained

After being dragged away for trying to march to the new Parliament while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurating it, India's star wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and others were booked for rioting and other charges on Sunday. The Delhi Police removed the protesters from Jantar Mantar and detained 109 people, while 700 others were detained from across Delhi.

• The wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh camped at Jantar Mantar over a month ago after their calls for action against Singh fell on deaf ears for three months.
• Singh has been accused of sexually harassing wrestlers while enjoying impunity from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
• Singh alleges that the protest against him is politically motivated.

With support from khap and farm leaders, the protesters were marching toward the new Parliament to hold a women's mahapanchayat to call attention to their demands on Sunday. However, they were detained as they didn't have permission to organize the mahapanchayat. The police released the women detainees in the evening and said the protesters wouldn't be allowed to return to Jantar Mantar.

Olympic bronze medalist Punia said that despite being accused of sexual harassment, the WFI chief attended the new Parliament inauguration, which he called "unfortunate." He said, "It took the Delhi Police only a few hours to register an FIR against us...but it took them seven days to register an FIR against Singh." Notably, Singh was booked only after being reprimanded by the Supreme Court.

Several farm leaders were also allegedly detained for a few hours in Haryana. A group led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait headed to join the wrestlers' protest was stopped at the border of the national capital by closing the Ghazipur border.