Security Tightened Ahead of Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s Protest in Support of Wrestlers

Security has been beefed up at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi ahead of the nationwide protests to be launched by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) in support of the protesting wrestlers.

Ace wrestlers of the country including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar for the past 10 days demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh and his sacking from the post in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha had announced holding nationwide protests including in Delhi in support of the wrestlers. Several senior leaders of SKM from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh will visit the protest site at Jantar Mantar and extend their support to the protesting wrestlers, a statement from the organization on Saturday said. The Delhi Police has planned elaborate security arrangements near Jantar Mantar and the city’s bordering areas ahead of the visit, the officials said.

The announcement regarding Sunday’s visit comes a day after the organization, a breakaway group of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha that spearheaded the year-long agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, said a large number of farmers would gather at Jantar Mantar on Monday (May 8) in support of the wrestlers.

Several wrestlers have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar since April 23, demanding that the government make public the findings of an oversight panel that investigated the sexual harassment charges against Brij Bhushan Singh. The WFI chief on the other hand has denied any wrongdoing but said he would resign if Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the party asks him to.

Also Read: Late Night Scuffle Between Delhi Police, Protesting Wrestlers at Jantar Mantar