Wrestlers Protest: Police Weld Barricades After Scuffle With Farmers

On Sunday after a meeting between farmers, wrestlers and khap panchayats, a 15-day ultimatum was issued seeking action against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Since April 23, prominent wrestlers have been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar against WFI chief.

NEW DELHI: Hours after a group of farmers forcefully breached the police barricades to join the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar here on Monday, the Delhi Police again erected the barricades and this time they were being welded all together. A video of barricades being welded together near the protesting site was also doing rounds on social media. However, there was no immediate response from the police as of now.

Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal, through his official Twitter account, said that a group of farmers were escorted to Jantar Mantar and at entry barricades, they were in a hurry to reach the dharna site in which some of them climbed the barricades which fell down and were removed by them.

"Police team kept the barricades at the back side to facilitate their entry. "The protestors have reached the dharna site and the meeting is going on peacefully,a he said in subsequent tweets. Farmers, who had extended their support to wrestlers, had arrived from Haryana and Punjab on Monday to join the wrestlers who have been demanding action to be taken regarding the allegations of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

On Sunday after a meeting between farmers, wrestlers and khap panchayats, a 15-day ultimatum was issued seeking action against Singh. They had said they will take a "significant decision" in this regard if no action is taken.

Since April 23, prominent Indian wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, who have achieved Olympic and World Championships recognition, have been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar against WFI chief.