Sakshi Malik, an Olympic Games bronze medallist and one of the faces of the wrestlers’ protest, vowed to keep the fight on.

“We will not be cowed down. We will keep fighting for justice. The whole day (Monday) was spent discussing our next move. We will come back stronger,” Sakshi said in a video posted on her Twitter handle.

Sakshi also questioned on what grounds Delhi Police filed FIRs against the protesters. “We did not damage any property. We did not resort to any violence or arson. Then why were the FIRs filed?”

She thanked everyone for the overwhelming support the protesters got. “Thanks for the support. You people give us the strength”.

Sakshi, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and several others were detained by the Delhi Police on Sunday when they attempted to move towards the new Parliament building for women’s ‘Mahapanchayat’. The police also filed FIRs for violation of law and order.

Bajrang Punia (left) on Sunday. PTI picture

Disturbing videos of police action against elite wrestlers emerged from Jantar Mantar, which will now remain out of bounds for them.

The protesters are demanding the arrest of the Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.

“We are still in a state of shock. I was released at 11pm (on Sunday) and Bajrang was released around midnight,” one of the protesting wrestlers said earlier on Monday.

As the wrestlers breached the barricades and marched towards the new Parliament building from Jantar Mantar, police personnel shoved and pushed before detaining them.

Vinesh provided a strong resistance and Sangeeta clung on to her cousin while lying on the road as the struggle continued for a few minutes. The police officials dragged and lifted them into buses along with several other wrestlers and their supporters.

In Chandigarh, BJP leader and London Olympic Games bronze medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt said politics has crept into the grapplers’ agitation and the protesters are allowing political parties to fire from their shoulders.

“Players are being used. They are allowing political parties to fire from their shoulders. You saw a big example of this during the inauguration of the new Parliament.

“Everyone knows about the protocols to be followed when top dignitaries like the President or the Prime Minister are present. Wrestlers were pushed to go there, which is sad. The Opposition was behind their march,” Dutt alleged on Monday. “The wrestlers tried to tarnish the image of the country.”

Dutt said police are not to blame for the scuffle and it was all the doing of the politicians.

“Politics has crept into this. The demand for FIR (against Brihbhushan Sharan) by wrestlers has already been met. The committee has given its report to the sports ministry. What else do they want?” he said.

Written with inputs from PTI