Hurt by the boorish behaviour of the Delhi Police, protesting wrestlers on Thursday threatened to return their medals and awards including the Padma Shri to the government, saying these honours serve no purpose if they have to endure such humiliation.
Around 11 pm on Wednesday, a scuffle broke out when the wrestlers were bringing in folding beds for sleeping and the on-duty police personnel began enquiring about that as rules do not permit bringing in such things at the protest site.
Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik had claimed that they were abused and pushed by male police officers, leaving them in tears.
Two wrestlers, including Sangeeta Phogat’s brother Dushyant, suffered injuries.
“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 on Thursday morning.
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.”
The wrestlers resumed their protest on April 23, demanding the arrest of WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment of seven women grapplers including a minor.
The matter is Supreme Court and two FIRs have also been lodged by the Delhi police against the WFI chief, who has denied all charges and claimed that the protest was politically motivated.
“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 scuffle broke out when the protesters were trying to get extra mattresses and wooden benches to the protest site for their night stay since rain had left old mattresses wet and soggy.
“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.
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 government 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.
Maliwal later tweeted in Hindi: “I am sitting with wrestlers who are protesting at Jantar Mantar. They are telling me that last night some police personnel, who were inebriated, misbehaved with them and attacked them. After writing down the complaints, Delhi Commission For Women will act on them.”
She told PTI that she had spoken to the women protesters and recorded their statements in detail.
“According to them, some of the officers of Delhi Police were drunk on Wednesday night. They dragged some of these women and beat them. They abused them and even pulled their hair,” she said.
According to their allegations, there were only male officers at the spot then, she said.
Maliwal said the DCW will be issuing a notice to police over the incident and will ensure that action is taken against the guilty.
Maliwal said 40 FIRs have already been registered against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh — a sexual harassment accused against whom the wrestlers are on protest.
“Now an FIR under POCSO Act has also been registered against him, yet he is not arrested,” she said.
Delhi Police is yet to record statements of the victims under section 164 CrPC and while Brij Bhushan sits inside an AC room, the women here are out on street protesting and crying for justice, she said.
“The authorities are trying to protect Singh. Otherwise, in any case of sexual harassment, police immediately records victims statements under section 164 CrPC,” she said.
Referring to the two FIRS registered against Singh, she said these FIRs were also registered after a gap of six days and only when the Supreme Court directed the Delhi Police to do so.
“FIRs should be registered against DCP New Delhi and Parliament Street SHO for not registering FIRs immediately after the complaints were received. Only if senior officers are suspended, they will know that their moral responsibility is to stand with the victims,” she said.
Maliwal said even she was dragged and pulled inside a police van when she came to Jantar Mantar last night.
The wrestlers have levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh.
On Wednesday night, police had detained Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Swati Maliwal when they had gone to the spot to support the wrestlers.
