The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Monday strongly condemned the government’s ‘coercive’ action against wrestlers protesting in New Delhi, saying that the top Sikh body stands firmly with the women grapplers fighting for their rights.

Delhi police on Sunday removed tents and other installations set up by protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar after they were detained for allegedly breaching the security cordon. The wrestlers were detained while trying to move towards the new Parliament building to hold a women’s ‘Maha Panchayat’. The agitating wrestlers have been demanding the arrest of BJP MP and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh, who is accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers.

“Coercive action by the government against those who raise voices for human rights is a blot on democracy. On the one hand, the newly developed Parliament was being inaugurated and on the other hand, the women wrestlers who brought laurels to the country were being tortured. It has shamed the entire country,” SGPC general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal said.

“As per the directions of the SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, a delegation of the SGPC was supposed to join the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar. Due to the forced action of removing the protesters by the government yesterday, this plan has been postponed for now. The SGPC stands firmly with these women wrestlers who are fighting for their rights and will give them full support,” he said.

Grewal said that Sikhs have always made sacrifices to protect the country and do not need to learn patriotism from anyone.

Meanwhile, SGPC’s executive member Bibi Gurinder Kaur Bholuwal said that it was unfortunate that the girls who won medals for the country were being harassed today.

She said that instead of listening to these girls, they were being dragged to the streets by the government.