New Delhi: Addressing an impromptu press conference post the incident, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia spoke about how two of their fellow protesters had been injured and one had to be taken to hospital with a bleeding head (Dushyant Phogat, Vinesh's brother).

According to the wrestlers, the scuffle started when they were trying to get in foldable cots to sleep on in their protest site - since their mattresses had been soaked in the day's rain. They said that the Delhi Police had objected to this before starting to push and abuse them including the women wrestlers.

An emotional Vinesh said, "If you want to kill us, then kill us Did we win medals for the country to see this day? We have not even eaten our food. Does every man have a right to abuse women? These policemen are holding guns, they can kill us."

"Where were female police officers? How can the male officers push us like that. We are not criminals," she said. "We do not deserve such treatment. The police officer who was drunk hit my brother."  A ruckus after an alleged scuffle between protesting wrestlers and the police at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. PTI Photo Sitting alongside her, Bajrang Punia asked the watching public to reach Jantar Mantar on Wednesday morning to show their support. "I request everyone to reach Delhi by morning. This is the time. If not now, then when. This is question of dignity of our daughters. People like Brij Bhushan (WFI President) are roaming free despite being a criminal and all this is happening to us," Bajrang said.

Delhi Police, meanwhile, issued a statement on the incident: "During the protest at Jantar Mantar, Mr. Somnath Bharti came at the protest site along with folding beds without permission. On intervention, the supporters became aggressive in trying to get the beds out of the truck. Subsequently, a minor altercation took place in which Mr. Somnath Bharti along with 2 others was detained." Responding to this statement, Bajrang denied that Bharti, a Delhi MLA of the AAP party, was involved in the incident. He said, "CCTV footage can show he was not there when it happened.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 05 2023

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