An Indian politician was booed at and had shoes and bottles thrown towards him during a sports tournament in Melbourne’s west on Sunday afternoon.
Former cabinet minister from the north Indian state of Punjab, Sikander Singh Maluka was the chief guest at the Kings International Kabaddi Cup at Errington Reserve in St Albans. Angry protesters threw shoes and water bottles towards the stage where Mr Maluka was seated.
Videos of the incident posted on social media show protesters who were angry at the former minister’s presence at the tournament due to his previous remarks that were deemed sacrilegious to the Sikh prayer, raising slogans asking him to “go back”.
The ruckus began during the semi-final match between Australia and Pakistan.
“The match was on when Singhs [Sikh men] began raising slogans against Malooka. Bottles were thrown towards the stage, someone also hurled a shoe in the direction [of Mr Maluka],” Charanjit Singh – a journalist who was present when the incident happened told SBS Punjabi.
The stage was covered with a fence from all sides. Mr Singh said some people tried to throw chairs towards the protesters from inside the fence.
“But the most disturbing thing is, someone also threw a metal clamp used to hold the fence together towards the spectators and it could have caused very serious harm to anyone it struck,” he said.
Mr Maluka - president of Punjab Kabaddi Association and Chairman All India Circle Style Kabaddi – was later escorted out of the venue under police protection.
He reportedly denied that a shoe was hurled towards him and said the protest was due to a tussle between two Kabaddi clubs.
“No shoe was hurled on me, there was some sloganeering, but it had no political motive, rather two kabaddi clubs of Melbourne had some tussle with each other and hence persons from other club came to spoil the atmosphere,” Mr Maluka told the Indian Express.
However, the tournament organisers claimed the protest against the former Punjab minister was “preplanned”.
“There were just a handful of people who had planned this protest in advance and they filmed it as well,” Shammi Singh, one of the organisers told SBS Punjabi.
Mr Singh said the police removed the protesters and Mr Maluka remained at the venue and only left after the final match started.
“The start of the final match was delayed but Mr Maluka stayed until it started and left as he had to be somewhere else,” he said.
The police detained at least one man and later released him. SBS Punjabi has contacted the Victoria Police.
Mr Maluka has faced a similar protest by Sikhs in Canada when he was stopped from entering a meeting venue. He was also filmed assaulting a female teacher during a protest against former Punjab Chief Minister and Mr Maluka's boss, Parkash Singh Badal.
