Sakshi Malik ,Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat Reached Uttarakhand Haridwar In response to their recent detention and the filing of FIRs against them by the Delhi Police, prominent Indian wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat have decided to symbolically “immerse” their Olympic and world medals in the Ganga River in Haridwar. This act serves as a protest against the perceived mistreatment by the police. Additionally, the wrestlers have announced their intention to go on a hunger strike until death at India Gate in New Delhi.

Expressing their sentiments, the wrestlers stated, “These medals hold immense value for us. Once we ‘immerse’ them in the Ganga, our purpose to live would be lost. Therefore, we will proceed to India Gate and commence a hunger strike until death,” according to their official statement.

Earlier, the wrestlers, who had been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar, were marching towards the newly inaugurated Parliament building on Sunday to organize a women’s “Mahapanchayat.” However, they were detained by the Delhi Police en route. Subsequently, the police lodged FIRs against them and cleared the protest site at Jantar Mantar. The wrestlers resisted their detention, leading to dramatic scenes where policewomen grabbed and escorted them into buses.

The wrestlers expressed their dissatisfaction, stating, “You all witnessed the events of May 28. We were mistreated and unlawfully detained by the police. Not only did they disband our protest at Jantar Mantar, but they also filed FIRs against us, despite our peaceful demonstration. Have female athletes committed a crime by seeking justice for the sexual harassment they endured? We have been treated like criminals,” read a joint statement posted on social media by the three wrestlers.

The statement further expressed their disillusionment, saying, “We feel that there is nothing left for us in this country. When we reflect on the moments when we won Olympic and world championship medals for our nation, we question why we achieved them. The medals we wear around our necks now feel meaningless.”

In addition, the statement contemplated to whom the wrestlers could return their medals, stating, “We considered returning the medals to the President, who is a woman herself. Despite being in close proximity to us, she remained silent on our predicament. We also contemplated returning them to the Prime Minister, who refers to us as his daughters. However, he has not once inquired about our well-being since our protests began. Ironically, the individual we are protesting against, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was invited to the inauguration of the new Parliament.”