World Championships and Commonwealth Games medalist Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers on Thursday accused the Delhi Police of working in favour of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who is accused of sexual harassment of the female wrestlers.
The wrestlers, who are holding a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar in the National Capital, urged the police to release their supporters detained by them in the wake of a scuffle that took place at the protest site last night.
Some of India’s top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, are protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP accusing him of sexual harassment and demanding his arrest. Singh, a six-time MP, denied the allegations.
A scuffle had broken out between the protesting wrestlers and Delhi Police personnel at the protest site late on Wednesday night. The wrestlers claimed they were manhandled and abused by the police personnel.
“Delhi Police is working in favour of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh,” said Vinesh to the media in a press conference on Thursday.
Vinesh said the wrestlers are extremely grateful to the Supreme Court for the support they have shown them so far.
“We will follow whatever orders they issue. They have also said that we can go to Delhi High Court or Magistrate. We will do it in case timely action is not taken,” added the wrestler.
Bajrang Punia, the Olympic medalist, asserted that the wrestlers do not have any issues with any government, but the WFI and its president. He urged Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to come and support the wrestlers.
“I urge him (Haryana CM) to come here and support us, it is about giving justice to the daughters of this country,” said Bajrang.
Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia also accused the protestors are being detained and urged Delhi Police to release them.
A total of 15 people, including a leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union, were detained by the police at Haryana’s Singhu border on Thursday on their way to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to support the wrestlers’ protest.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Abhimanyu Kohar and others were on their way to join the wrestlers’ protest against the WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh over alleged sexual harassment complaints against him.
Meanwhile, Wrestler Geeta Phogat, who won India’s first ever gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games in 2010, was taken into police custody at Singhu border, as per Delhi Police sources.
She, along with her husband Pawan Saroha, were on way to Jantar Mantar to join the grapplers who have levelled sexual harassment charges against Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Saran Singh and have been staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar since April 23 demanding his arrest as well as ouster from the WFI post.
“Me and my husband Pawan Saroha have been arrested by the Delhi Police,” Phogat said in a tweet.
According to sources, she, along with Saroha, who represented India at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and won the bronze medal, were taken to Bawana police station after being detained.