The state’s response to the wrestlers’ allegations reflects the “architecture of intimidation” women in India commonly face when they report sexual assault at the workplace, which includes denial, silencing, harassment and even defamation cases.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Avneet Kaur Sidhu said that while it was clear that the police had to do their duty, it would have been better if things had not come to this pass.
The wrestlers, including Olympic medalists Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, were detained in Delhi on Sunday for violating law and order and were released the next day. They had been protesting against an alleged sexual harassment incident involving a wrestling official.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha said it has given the call for the nationwide agitation “to secure the democratic right to protest by the Indian wrestlers” and to “demand the arrest of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh”.
The Delhi Police detained wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and their supporters while they were trying to move towards the new Parliament building for holding a ‘Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat’ on Sunday.