Wrestlers Protest: What happened on the morning after scuffle with Delhi Police

After an ugly turn of events on Wednesday night (May 3) between the Delhi Police and protesting wrestlers, MyKhel takes a look at what transpired the following morning at the protest site, Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi.

To bring you up to date with the events of the night before, a scuffle broke out between the cops and elite Indian wrestlers, who are protesting for justice on sexual harassment charges against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

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The melee broke out around 11PM on Wednesday when folding beds were brought to the protest site for wrestlers, who were struggling for a spot to sleep in due to rain in New Delhi. Police personnel were uncertain about the rules permitting beds at the protest site and soon the enquiry for the same turned into a heated argument.

Multiple videos of the scuffle soon went viral on social media while two wrestlers, including Sangeet Phogat's brother Dushyant, suffered injuries. Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik on Thursday morning hosted a press conference and claimed that they were abused and pushed by male police officers, leaving them in tears.

"If this is how the wrestlers will be treated, what will we do with the medals? Rather we will live an ordinary life and return all the medals and awards to the Indian government," Bajrang, an Olympic bronze medallist, told reporters.

Wrestlers threatened to return medals after police's behaviour

The wrestlers also threatened to returned their laurels awarded to them by the government. Vinesh, Sakshi and Bajrang are all winners of Khel Ratna, country's highest sporting honour. Skashi (2017) and Bajrang (2019) are also recipients of the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour.

"When police is pushing us, abusing us, misbehaving then they don't see that we are Padma Shri awardee, and not only me, there is Sakshi (Malik) also," he said referring to the Rio Olympics bronze medallist. "They are misbehaving with us. Women and daughters are sitting on the streets, begging for kindness but no one is bothered about getting justice."

"Take it (medals) all away. We have been humiliated so much. We are fighting for our respect but we are being crushing under their feet. Does all men have the right to abuse women?," said Vinesh, who received Khel Ratna in 2020.

"We will return all our medals, even give our life but at least get us justice," she added.

"The policeman started pushing me, shoving me and pulling my hand. He also abused me. There was no women constable at that time. He was aggressive. There was another policeman who was drunk," Vinesh said.

Delhi Police has claimed that AAP leader Somnath Bharti had brought the folding beds.

"We had ordered for the beds and not Somnath Bharati. And even if he had brought it, don't we even have the right to sleep. Were we committing a crime by bringing beds, was there a bomb or weapons? Their (Delhi Police) behaviour was very aggressive," Vinesh added.

'This protest is not political, we only want Brij Bhushan's arrest'

Bajrang said, "I want to know why everything is being related to politics, sometimes Aam Aadmi party, Congress, sometimes BJP. The matter is related to women, but the nation is being misled by associating it with political parties."

"The Police is favouring Brij Bhushan. We are being abused after the FIR was lodged. Wrestlers are being divided on the basis of caste."

"I just want to request the govenment if you can rise above politics and give justice to protesting wrestlers then the entire country will be grateful to you." Asked if the protest has been hijacked by political parties, Vinesh said, "Listen, if this is political, please get the Prime Minister to talk to us. Ask the home minister to call us. Get us justice. We are putting our careers and our lives at stake," she said with folded hands.

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Swati Maliwal was also sitting with the protesting wrestlers after she was forced out of the protest location the night before.

The barricading around the protest site has also been increased as it now starts from the Janpath metro station and leads to a protest site, which saw its first incident of violence on Wednesday night.

Congress slams government after Wednesday night's incident

The Congress on Thursday hit out at Union Minister Amit Shah and the Delhi Police under him over a scuffle between police and the wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar here.

The Opposition party said that party MP Deepender Hooda was detained by police when he went to the spot after hearing about the "atrocities" of Delhi Police. A scuffle broke out late Wednesday night between wrestlers and some policemen at the Jantar Mantar here, leading to head injuries to a couple of protesters.

The wrestlers have alleged that they were beaten up by the police. In the early hours Thursday, Hooda tweeted in Hindi, "When I reached Jantar Mantar to enquire about the condition of our daughters, the Delhi Police took me into custody outside the protest site and has now brought me to the Vasant Vihar Police Station."

Tagging a video of Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik breaking down and her colleague Vinesh Phogat consoling her, the Congress said in a tweet in Hindi, "These are the daughters of our country, safeguarded the country's honour and won us many medals. Today the police of Home Minister Amit Shah are misbehaving with them."

Their only crime is that they are raising their voice against exploitation, the Congress said. "Narendra Modi ji, why are you doing this injustice?" the party said.

In another tweet in Hindi, the Congress said, "Congress MP Deepender Hooda ji reached the spot as soon as he came to know about the atrocities of Delhi Police on the daughters of the country."

Congress stands firmly with the daughters of the country, the party said, and added, "the clear message is don't be afraid, we are together with you."

-With inputs from PTI