New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condemned the police detention of wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar here on Sunday and called their act "grossly wrong." Delhi Police on Sunday detained Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia after they breached the security cordon moving towards the new Parliament building for a women's 'Mahapanchayat.'
Kejriwal retweeted a video shared by Malik that showed wrestlers being dragged by police to a detention van after a lengthy scuffle. "Such treatment to the sportsperson who brought laurels to the country is grossly wrong and condemnable," he wrote.
-
देश का मान बढ़ाने वाले हमारे खिलाड़ियों के साथ ऐसा बर्ताव बेहद ग़लत एवं निंदनीय। https://t.co/hoKX2ewlli
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 28, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">देश का मान बढ़ाने वाले हमारे खिलाड़ियों के साथ ऐसा बर्ताव बेहद ग़लत एवं निंदनीय। https://t.co/hoKX2ewlli
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 28, 2023देश का मान बढ़ाने वाले हमारे खिलाड़ियों के साथ ऐसा बर्ताव बेहद ग़लत एवं निंदनीय। https://t.co/hoKX2ewlli
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 28, 2023
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday condemned "the way" the protesting wrestlers who were trying to march towards the new Parliament building from their site of protest at Jantar Mantar were stopped and detained by Delhi police.
Ace wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshee Mallik and Bajrang Punia were among others who were detained by Delhi Police on Sunday while attempting to march to the new Parliament building where they planned to stage a demonstration.
Taking to her Twitter, Banerjee wrote "Strongly condemn the way Delhi Police manhandled Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers. It's shameful our champions are treated in this manner."
-
Strongly condemn the way Delhi Police manhandled Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers. It’s shameful our champions are treated in this manner. Democracy lies in tolerance but autocratic forces thrive on intolerance and quelling of dissent. I demand they be immediately…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 28, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Strongly condemn the way Delhi Police manhandled Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers. It’s shameful our champions are treated in this manner. Democracy lies in tolerance but autocratic forces thrive on intolerance and quelling of dissent. I demand they be immediately…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 28, 2023Strongly condemn the way Delhi Police manhandled Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers. It’s shameful our champions are treated in this manner. Democracy lies in tolerance but autocratic forces thrive on intolerance and quelling of dissent. I demand they be immediately…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 28, 2023
"Democracy lies in tolerance but autocratic forces thrive on intolerance and quelling of dissent. I demand they be immediately released by police. I stand by our wrestlers," said the Chief Minister in her tweet.
Jantar Mantar turned into a scene of chaos when Vinesh Phogat and her cousin Sangeeta Phogat tried to breach the barricades and as police tried to contain the breach with a lot of shoving and pushing. Immediately after the wrestlers were pushed into buses and taken to an unknown location, police began clearing the protest site by removing cots, mattresses, cooler fans, the tarpaulin ceiling, and other belongings of the wrestlers.
The agitating wrestlers, who include Olympic medallists Punia and Malik and Asian Games gold winner Phogat, have been demanding the arrest of outgoing Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accusing him of sexually harassing several women grapplers.
The Delhi Police has filed two FIRs against Singh, one of which relates to allegations by the minor wrestler and has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while the other is related to outraging modesty of adult women wrestlers. Singh has rejected the allegations against him and offered to undergo narco analysis and polygraph tests provided the protesting wrestlers also undergo the tests. (with agency Inputs)
