On May 28, a few kilometres away from the New Parliament Building, Delhi Police detained scores of protesters from Jantar Mantar, including women wrestlers who had given a call to march to the Parliament. Reporting from the ground, The Citizen team witnessed the heavy security deployment at the site of the protest next to Jantar Mantar.

While the religious inauguration festivities were on at the New Parliament, citizens who had come in solidarity with the women wrestlers seeking justice against sexual harassment were prevented from joining in. The thick police deployment also kept most of the media away from the protest site.

As soon as the Parliament Building inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was almost over, women wrestlers prepared to hold the march and conduct the mahapanchayat. The women protesting against inaction on sexual harassment allegations, was all set to march to the New Parliament Building. Many Khap panchayats had also given the call to hold a mahila mahapanchayat or women’s meeting, near the building to seek justice for the women wrestlers.

However, the Delhi Police swung into action and forcibly detained the international award winning women wrestlers, their male colleagues, activists and citizens who had been sitting in protest with them for over a month. By noon, the protest site had been cleared of the tent the wrestlers had lived in on the streets near Jantar Mantar, for over a month. “Welcome to the new India,” shouted Vinesh Phogat, as she was taken away by the police.

Vinesh Phogat had told the media earlier that many “supporters of the protesting wrestlers were detained ahead of the ‘Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat’. “The country will remember how democracy was being murdered openly at Jantar Mantar. On one hand the Prime Minister has inaugurated the new building of democracy and on the other hand the demand for justice for women ewre curbed,” she said in a short video message.

Delhi Police removed tents where wrestlers were protesting for more than a month.video by Nikita Jain

Almost all the protesters who were there were removed from the site and detained. They were taken away by the busloads. More protestors were arrested or detained as they neared the protest site in solidarity with the women wrestlers. Many were also stopped at the Delhi-Haryana, and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh borders.

Wrestlers shout slogans against Delhi Police and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh as they are detained at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Photo by Ashish Kumar Kataria

Veteran Human rights activists Subhashini and Jagmati Sangwan were also arrested at Jantar Mantar and taken away along with other protestors. The activists raised slogans in protest as they were away in buses that had been arranged for the purpose.

“Modi inaugurates the new Parliament building amidst loud propaganda: “New Parliament, New India”.... New India = Raja & Praja,” Communist Party of India (Marxist). Leader Sitaram Yechury tweeted soon after these events unfolded.

“The Prime Minister is considering the inauguration of the Parliament House as a coronation,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi commented on the ceremonies.

“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," Delhi Police Special CP Deepender Pathak had been quoted by news reports ahead of the inauguration. The building was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after an elaborate pooja on Sunday morning.

Ahead of this the PM also met a large contingent of Hindu priests ahead of the inauguration. Many of the priests were from South India, and posed with the PM and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

May 28 is the birth anniversary of Hindutva idol Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurated the building after an elaborate Hindu pooja in the morning. He had conducted its ‘bhoomi puja’ on December 10, 2020. On May 28, he along with Speaker Om Birla, led a procession of Hindu priests into the New Parliament and installed the Sengol which he had been holding as he walked in.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh added context to the significance of the date May 28, recalling that “ Nehru, who did the most to strengthen parliamentary democracy in India, was cremated in 1964” and adding , “Savarkar, whose ideology created the atmosphere that led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, was born in 1883.”

Security had been tightened in the National Capital, reportedly a day ahead, including at the state borders. The protesting wrestlers had announced their plans to hold a women's Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament building on Sunday. Soon after Delhi Police reportedly put up barricades near the protest venue, as well as on borders including Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu.

According to a report in the Hindu, The Delhi police on Saturday stated that they had “permission from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to create a temporary jail in Old Bawana near the city border.” This was to be arranged “amid the call by khap panchayats to hold a mahila mahapanchayat at Jantar Mantar in support of protesting wrestlers who have been demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.”

An order was issued by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Rajeev Kumar Ambasta, to that effect stated news reports. However, according to sources on the ground, members of the All India Kisan Sabha managed to reach the Tikri border via alternate village routes. They organised a Panchayat on the spot.

Meanwhile, PM Modi said, “As the new building of India’s Parliament is inaugurated, our hearts and minds are filled with pride, hope and promise. May this iconic building be a cradle of empowerment, igniting dreams and nurturing them into reality. May it propel our great nation to new heights of progress.”

Ironic that the top wrestlers of India including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and others have also said that May 28 will be etched in Indian history. But for different reasons.

From Sakshi Malik’s Twitter handle -


All photographs Nikita Jain and Ashish Kumar Katara. Copy written by KARUNA JOHN.

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