On Thursday, a few hours after their scuffle with the cops, the group of protesting wrestlers, led by Olympians Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Malikkh, reiterated their demand for arresting Singh and putting him behind bars.
“The court’s decision is not a setback for us. We respect the judgment and will comply with it. The SC supported us and we are thankful. We had known from day one how much the SC could do in our case. We understand that the country is run by the Constitution and not by protests. We will fight to the finish. This protest will continue until Singh is put behind bars. We are not going anywhere,” Phogat told reporters.
Police, meanwhile, denied all the allegations of high-handedness on Wednesday night and the charge that one of the cops was drunk. They blamed the supporters of AAP MLA and Delhi Jal Board chairperson Somnath Bharti for turning aggressive when they had arrived with folding cots.
The wrestlers, however, stuck to their charge against the cops and offered to return their medals won at national and international levels, along with various government honours, to protest against the police behaviour.
“If this is how the wrestlers are going to be treated, what will we do with the medals? We would rather live an ordinary life and return all the medals and awards to the Indian government. When they (policemen) were manhandling and abusing us, weren’t they able to see that the wrestlers were also Padma Shri (awardees)?” said Punia, an Olympic bronze medallist. “We will continue with our fight, but if we feel that nothing is happening, then we will return our medals. When that deadline comes, we will inform you,” he added.
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Scuffle between Wrestlers and Police at night in Delhi during Wrestlers’ Protest at Jantar Mantar
Punia, Phogat and Malikkh are recipients of the country’s highest sporting honours – Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna award. Malikkh (2017) and Punia (2019) are also recipients of the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in the country.
Delhi Police detained around 25 people, including Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal; Haryana Congress politician Deepender Singh Hooda; and AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj’s supporters in the early hours of Thursday after they reached Jantar Mantar to support the protesting wrestlers.
Speaking on the ruckus at the protest site, Delhi Police said five of their personnel, including two women officials, were injured in the incident. Pranav Tayal, DCP, New Delhi, said that Bharti was told there was no permission for bringing folding cots but his men tried to bring them out from a tempo which let to a minor altercation. Bharti, along with two others, was detained but let off later.
As a video of the ruckus went viral, AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj turned up at the venue. He later left but some of his supporters were detained. A journalist who was filming the incident was also detained as, cops said, she had no identity card.
Responding to the allegation that a head constable was drunk, DCP Tayal said, “a medical examination was conducted around 12:40am and the cop was not found to be drunk”. He added that a sufficient number of women police personnel were present.
The cops have so far not filed any case in connection with the incident, nor have they received any complaint from the wrestlers. Police sources said the injuries suffered by Dushyant Phogat were caused by a fan and not by the police.
“Regarding an injury suffered by a protester, he left the hospital against medical advice and has not given a statement to the police yet. The police officials did not use any force,” added the DCP. He clarified that there was no restriction on anyone going to the dharna site, saying DCW chief Maliwal had been allowed to go in after being refused entry once.
Police said Punia had called upon khap panchayats, farmers and wrestlers to reach Jantar Mantar which had put the police on high alert. Several people, including farmer leaders and Olympic athlete Geeta Phogat, along with her husband, and farmer leaders Abhimanyu Kuhar and Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra were detained at Delhi’s borders while they were on their way to Jantar Mantar. They were all released later.
DCPs had been asked to maintain vigil at the borders after a special branch input said a large number of people could reach Jantar Mantar. Barricades have been put up elsewhere. The cops will remain on alert till May 7, the day farmer leaders have called for a congregation.
