Security Beefed Up In Delhi As Protesting Wrestlers Set For A March To Parliament Building

Heavy security has been deployed in and around the national capital ahead of protesting wrestlers' march towards the new Parliament House on Sunday.

"We have deployed male and female companies at Delhi-Haryana border points to ensure unsocial elements are stopped from entering Delhi. Sonipat East Zone Police has not detained anyone so far. We will not allow people to enter Delhi if their motive is to disrupt the inauguration of the new Parliament House, our intelligence team is identifying such people," Gaurav Rajpurohit, DCP, Sonipat East, told ANI.

The members of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have been stopped at the Ambala border. They had come out from Amritsar on Saturday to participate in women wrestlers' Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament.

"We will not allow anything to disrupt the inauguration of the new Parliament building. The entire Delhi Police is on its toes to make sure the inauguration ceremony is conducted smoothly," said Delhi Police Special CP Deepender Pathak.

The protesting wrestlers have alleged that former Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Singh had sexually harassed seven grapplers. Hence, they are demanding his arrest and has given a call for a Mahila Mahapanchayat on Sunday.

The administration has given them the permission to take out the march from Jantar Mantar to the new Parliament building.

"We will go ahead with the Mahila Mahapanchayat, come what may. Our supporters have been stopped at a gurudwara in Ambala where they were supposed to stay tonight. It has now been converted into a cantonment," alleged Vinesh Phogat.

The wrestlers, in the run-up to the Mahapanchayat, have toured several cities in north India urging womenfolk and khaps to lend their support to their protest.

Vinesh added that even if force is used on them on Sunday, the march will remain peaceful. "Wherever we are stopped, we will sit there and have the Mahapanchayat." She alleged that raids were being conducted at the houses of people supporting them.

"There have been raids at the house of our supporters but the women supporters will reach Delhi for the Mahapanchayat." The Jantar Mantar, the site of the protest for more than a month now, looked virtually out of bounds with a huge posse of police personnel keeping a close watch on the wrestlers and their supporters.

"It's a really difficult (situation). We don't know what the future holds for us. Whether we will be alive or dead," said Vinesh, who cried inconsolably during the press conference.

"We wanted justice but something else is happening. Our supporters are being harassed as if we are criminals and not Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh," she added.