Wrestlers' protest turns violent as Delhi Police caught in midnight scuffle with wrestlers at Jantar Mantar | Watch
2 min read 04 May 2023, 07:13 AM ISTA violent scuffle broke between the Delhi Police and protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday midnight. The protesting wrestlers have accused some policemen of misbehaving with female protesters in drunken state
PremiumA struggle to bring more bed at the protestors's site after a day long rain, turned into an ugly scuffle between the protesting wrestlers and Delhi police at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday midnight. The violent encounter of the protesters with the police left Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Dushyant Phogat injured.
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Police personnel were alleged of mishandling the protestors. A police was even accused of being drunk on duty and hurling abuses at female protesters.
Scuffle broke after AAP leader and MLA Somnath Bharti brought unfoldable beds at the protestors' site for the wrestlers. Police denied them to bring the offered bedding inside the protesting sites, which broke the scuffle.
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Congress leader Deepender Hooda and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Somnath Bharti, have been detained by the police after the incident on Wednesday.
The wrestlers have been staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar since April 23 demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.
In viral video, some of the protesters were seen accusing the police personnel of attacking two wrestlers in a drunken state, reported PTI.
Senior police officials reached on the spot after the violent scuffle broke at the protesters site.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal said Bharti came to the protest site with folding beds without permission. On being asked about the beds, his supporters became aggressive and tried to get the beds from a truck. Subsequently, a minor altercation took place following which Bharti, along with two others, was detained, the officer added.
Appalled by the police behaviour, Vinesh Phogat said,"If you want to kill us, kill us."
"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.
"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," said another senior police offifical.
Former wrestler Rajveer told PTI that a drun policemen, Dharmendra, abused Vinesh Phogat when wrestlers were bringing new mattresses to the protest site.
"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.
"I was abused and pushed around by policemen. Where were the women police personnel?" asked Phogat. Several other female protesters have alleged that policemen misbehaved with them.
The violent interaction between the two side broke at 11 pm when the wrestlers were trying to bring folding beds for sleeping and on-duty personnel started asking questions.
