CPI(M) students' wing, SUCI hold protests against police action against wrestlers

Activists of CPI(M) students' wing SFI Monday took out protest rallies in different parts of the city in protest against the Delhi police action against wrestlers, including women wrestlers, at the national capital a day before.

The leftist Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) also held a protest on the issue before the Raj Bhavan during the day.

In north Kolkata's College Street area, around activists of SFI, Presidency University unit, formed a human chain on the road before the campus obstructing movement of vehicular traffic on the arterial road for around 30 minutes, a police official said.

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SFI unit President Anandarupa Dhar said "we are here to protest the brutal police action against wrestlers, including the likes of Olympic medallists Punia, Sakshi and Asian Games gold winner Vinesh, during a democratic rally in the national capital. They were only demanding the arrest of outgoing Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Singh" on charge of sexually harassing several women wrestlers.

In 8 Jadavpur, in southern parts of city, SFI activists walked on the busy S C Mallik Road in the evening holding flaming torches to voice their ire over the "ill-treatment" to women grapplers in Delhi "for daring to raise their voice against sexual harassment."

"Dike Dike Comrade - Gore Tole Barricade (comrades form the barricade against oppression everywhere)," the rallyists, majority of them girl students, shouted.

The left Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) also demonstrated in protest against the alleged attack on women wrestlers in Delhi and demanded immediate arrest of Singh before Raj Bhavan in central Kolkata on Monday.

While SUCI (C) alleged the demonstrators in city were manhandled by the police while they were being taken away in vehicles, a police official said minimal force was used only to disperse demonstrators and those detained were later released.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted on Sunday, "Strongly condemn the way Delhi Police manhandled Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers. It's shameful our champions are treated in this manner.

"Democracy lies in tolerance but autocratic forces thrive on intolerance and quelling of dissent. I demand they be immediately released by police. I stand by our wrestlers," Banerjee said on Twitter.