Wrestlers protest: Rakesh Tikait demands release of those held by Delhi Police

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday demanded that the Delhi Police release those detained by it from the ongoing wrestlers' protest site at Jantar Mantar. The national spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) also alleged that those supporting the wrestlers had been taken into custody by the Delhi Police at the behest of the Centre.

"The arrest of wrestlers, farmers, journalists and the youth who went to support the wrestlers by the Delhi Police at the behest of the government will start a new revolution in the country. The Delhi Police should immediately release them," Tikait tweeted in Hindi.

The prominent farmer leader had earlier met with the protesting athletes and supported the wrestlers who have been staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar in the national capital since April 23.


The wrestlers have levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh.

A scuffle had allegedly broken out between the protesting wrestlers and some police personnel at the Jantar Mantar here, leading to head injuries to a couple of protesters.

The wrestlers have alleged that they were manhandled by the police personnel.

According to protestors, two wrestlers Rahul Yadav and Dushyant Phogat were also injured. Phogat has received head injuries.

On Wednesday night, police detained Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda and chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Swati Maliwal who had reached the spot to support the wrestlers.