Top wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik on Thursday addressed a presser at Delhi's Jantar Mantar where a scuffle broke out between the protestors and some police personnel, leading to head injuries to a couple of protesters. Multiple layers of barricades have been put up around the protest site and no one is being allowed in. In a video being circulated on social media, some of the protesters were heard accusing police personnel of attacking two wrestlers under the influence of alcohol.
Vinesh Phogat alleged that the players were attacked and abused. She maintained that the accused policeman was drunk, a claim dismissed by the Delhi Police. "Were we committing a crime by bringing beds, was there a bomb? Their (Delhi Police) behaviour was very aggressive," she added.
Olympian Bajrang Punia said, "The matter is related to women, but the nation is being misled by associating it with political parties. Police are working in favour of Brij Bhushan. We are being abused after the FIR was lodged. Wrestlers are being divided on the basis of caste."
Bajrang Punia alleged that police are trying to suppress the protest to protect Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh.
"Our fight is with Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and not with the government. We are not fighting with the opposition. Efforts are being made to give politics and caste angle to this fight," he remarked.
Whenever we point out the lags by Delhi Police, we face their aggression, Vinesh Phogat claimed.
Earlier in the day, Swati Maliwal, Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, reached Jantar Mantar to support protesting wrestlers. "I have come to meet the girls (wrestlers) again since it is my duty. Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik told us they were being tortured, and there were police officers who were drunk and misbehaved with them. I am concerned for their safety. Why is Delhi Police protecting Brij Bhushan? Why is Delhi Police not arresting him?" she asked, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Ready To Return Our Medals And Awards: Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia said that the wrestlers were ready to return their medals and awards to the Indian government. "When the police heckle us, do they not see we are Padma awardees, how are we being treated? They are misbehaving with us under the influence of alcohol." He urged the government can rise above politics and give justice to protesting wrestlers, "the entire country will be grateful to you."
Wrestlers’ Protest: Heavy Security At Jantar Mantar After Scuffle
Multiple layers of barricades have been put up around the protest site in Jantar Mantar and no one is being allowed in. The heavy deployment comes after wrestlers called for farmers and their leaders to assemble at the protest site on Thursday morning. Delhi Police is also checking vehicles at city border points to stop a large gathering at Jantar Mantar, an official told news agency PTI.
The scuffle broke out around 11 pm when the wrestlers were bringing folding beds for sleeping and the on-duty police personnel started asking questions about it. The wrestlers accused the police personnel of behaving badly with them and alleged that personnel even abused the women wrestlers.
"If you want to kill us, kill us," Vinesh Phogat said with tears in her eyes during a late-night media interaction. "Did we win medals for the country to see this day? We have not even eaten our food. Does every man have a right to abuse women? These policemen are holding guns, they can kill us," she said, as quoted by PTI.
The World Championship medallist questioned why female police officers did not respond to their male counterparts' misdemeanour. "Where were the female police officers? How can the male officers push us like that? We are not criminals. We do not deserve such treatment. The police officer who was drunk hit my brother," she alleged.
Making allegations against the police, former wrestler Rajveer told PTI that their mattresses got wet due to rain and they were bringing folding beds for sleeping, but the police did not allow it. "Drunk policeman Dharmendra abused Vinesh Phogat and got involved in a scuffle with us. They started hitting us. Bajrang Punia's brother-in-law Dushyant and Rahul suffered head injuries. The police did not let doctors reach the site. Even the women constables were misbehaving with us," he alleged.
Four people, including Congress leader Deepender Hooda and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Somnath Bharti, were detained following the incident, police said, as per PTI.
Dismissing the accusation, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal said that AAP's Somnath Bharti came to the protest site with folding beds without permission. When asked about the beds, his supporters became aggressive and tried to get the beds from a truck. Following this, a minor altercation took place following which Bharti, along with two others, was detained, the officer added.
"A few men tried to bring cots to the protest site. When the policemen asked them about the cots, they got aggressive and the protesters joined them. They wrongfully restrained a policeman and accused him of being drunk, which was not the case. Police personnel are at the site and the situation is now under control. No protester was beaten up," another senior police officer said, as quoted by PTI.
Meanwhile, Olympian Bajrang Punia demanded that CCTV footage be checked to ascertain the truth. "CCTV cameras must be there. The footage will make it clear."
When asked if the AAP leader had brought the folding beds, as being claimed by police, he said, "The CCTV footage will show that he was not there when it happened. We had ordered the beds, we were bringing those inside."