New Delhi: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Thursday expressed shock over a scuffle between Delhi Police personnel and protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar. Appalled by the boorish behaviour of the Delhi Police in direction of protesting wrestlers, an emotionally distraught Phogat mentioned they weren’t ‘criminals’ and that they didn’t deserve such ‘disrespect’. Phogat, who’s the primary Indian lady wrestler to win gold medals at each Commonwealth and Asian Games, requested if she received medals for the nation to see this present day.
Vinesh Phogat’s response got here after a scuffle broke out round 11 pm on Wednesday when the protesting wrestlers had been bringing in folding beds for his or her night time keep and the on-duty police personnel allegedly started enquiring about that. The wrestlers alleged that the cops began behaving badly with them and even abused the ladies wrestlers.
VIDEO | Scuffle between protesting wrestlers and cops at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. pic.twitter.com/uQhIPeAfL8
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 3, 2023
“If you want to kill us, then kill us,” a crying Vinesh Phogat mentioned throughout a late-night media interplay.
The World Championship medallist requested the place had been feminine cops and the way can the male officers push us like that.Â
“Did we win medals for the country to see this day?” she mentioned.
VIDEO | “The way they have made us suffer, I would not want any athlete to win a medal for the country,” says wrestler Vinesh Phogat. pic.twitter.com/EpSk6dc3ZL
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 3, 2023
We aren’t criminals. We don’t deserve such therapy. The police officer who was drunk hit my brother, Phogat added.
Request everybody to succeed in Delhi: Bajrang Punia after scuffle
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, who is among the high wrestlers sitting on protest since April 23, demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh alleging that he has sexually harassed seven feminine grapplers, together with one minor, exhorted the farmers and most people to succeed in Jantar Mantar of their assist.
“I request everyone to reach Delhi by morning. This is the time. If not now, then when. This is the question of the dignity of our daughters. People like Brij Bhushan are roaming free despite being a criminal and all this is happening to us,” Bajrang Punia mentioned.
Asked to present extra particulars, he mentioned that CCTV cameras should be right here and the footage will make it clear.
Congress’ Deepender Hooda, AAP MLA Somnath Bharti detained
According to police, 4 folks, together with Congress chief Deepender Hooda and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Somnath Bharti, have been detained following the incident.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal mentioned Bharti got here to the protest web site with folding beds with out permission. On being requested in regards to the beds, his supporters turned aggressive and tried to get the beds from a truck. Subsequently, a ‘minor’ altercation passed off following which Bharti, together with two others, was detained, the officer mentioned.
Another senior police officer mentioned, “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… No protester was beaten up.”
Barricades have now been put up across the protest web site and nobody is reportedly being allowed in.
It is notable that the protesting wrestlers have been demanding prison motion towards WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the alleged sexual harassment and intimidation of feminine grapplers. The Delhi Police has filed two FIRs towards Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, on the allegations of sexual harassment leveled towards him by the wrestlers.
