Chandigarh: Farmer leaders and social activists from across Haryana and neighbouring Punjab were detained at several locations Sunday while on their way to Delhi to heed call for the all-woman mahapanchayat given by wrestlers protesting in Delhi to demand the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Seven women athletes, including a minor, have accused him of sexual harassment and intimidation — charges he maintains are ‘false’.
Jagmati Sangwan, national vice president of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), which is the women’s wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), told ThePrint over the phone that activists who had reached Delhi Saturday, along with those moving towards Delhi, had been detained by the police at various locations.
“I am speaking to you from Vasant Kunj police station where I am in detention with 30 to 40 others. I arrived in Delhi from Rohtak Saturday evening. I was at Jantar Mantar speaking to Bajrang Punia when the police pounced on us. After taking us to several places, some of us were brought here,” she said.
Earlier in the day, ThePrint reported how protesters led by Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik, were detained by the Delhi police ahead of the all-woman mahapanchayat that was to be held near the newly-inaugurated Parliament building.
Meanwhile, Sangwan alleged that many people moving towards Delhi Saturday night were detained by the police at the Tikri border, near Bahadurgarh. Some others were allegedly picked up from a train in Haryana, when they were on their way to Delhi, she said.
“They have informed me that they were let off at Bahadurgarh Sunday afternoon,” Sangwan added.
Detentions of most activists from Punjab were made in Ambala, ThePrint has learnt.
One reason could be that this city in Haryana falls on the Punjab-Delhi route. Some detentions were also reported on the other Punjab-Delhi route, which is via the Tikri border near Bahadurgarh.
Requesting anonymity, a police officer posted at Ambala told ThePrint over the phone Sunday, “No permission was granted for mahila mahapanchayat in Delhi for Sunday. Hence, we have directions (from the state government) to stop those moving towards Delhi.”
The Haryana Police heightened security across the state Saturday evening when a large number of members of farmers’ outfits and social organisations started moving towards Delhi to extend their support to the wrestlers who had been protesting at Jantar Mantar since 23 April to demand Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s immediate arrest.
‘Detentions began Saturday night’
More than 200 farmers from Punjab, including women, were camping in Ambala’s Manji Sahib Gurudwara since Saturday where they were detained before they could embark on their journey to the national capital.
Talking to ThePrint, Rakesh Bains, a leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni), alleged the police launched an operation to detain farmer leaders moving towards Delhi Saturday night. Gurnam Singh Charuni, was detained near Kurukshetra late Saturday. While he was being whisked away, Charuni had urged his supporters not to block any roads, said Bains.
In Rohtak, All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sangathan leaders Jai Karan Mandothi, Rajinder Singh, and Rohtash Singh were taken into custody by the police, alleged Anoop Singh, state president of the Sangathan.
Talking to ThePrint Sunday, Sumit Singh, state general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, which is the farmers’ wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI), alleged over the phone that leaders affiliated to his organisation, namely Shamsher Singh Nambardar, Om Prakash, Kavita Arya, among others, were detained by the police from various locations in the state.
The outfit also said in a tweet that it received reports of detentions from Rohtak, Hisar, Bhiwani, Jind, Fatehabad, Sampla, and Yamunanagar.
Sonia Duhann, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader from Haryana who shot to limelight earlier this year when she stopped state minister Sandeep Singh, accused in a sexual harassment case, from unfurling the Tricolour on Republic Day, was also detained by the police near Sampla on the Rohtak–Delhi highway Sunday.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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