NEW DELHI: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat broke down in tears in front of media persons over the alleged assault faced by her fellow wrestlers at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday by Delhi Police personnel. “Brij Bhushan who has done several misdeeds is sleeping peacefully at his home and we are even struggling to sleep on roads. Is this why we brought medals for the country,” said Phogat as she broke down while addressing the media at Jantar Mantar where the wrestlers have been protesting for the past 12 days against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The iconic protest site on late Wednesday turned into a battleground as an argument between some wrestlers and policemen turned violent in which two wrestlers and five policemen suffered injuries. The protesting wrestlers alleged Delhi Police personnel of misbehaving and abusing women wrestlers. Phogat accused Delhi Police personnel of using derogatory language against her. In a purported video, Vinesh could be heard saying, “They have beaten my brother. He was profusely bleeding from his head and one of the drunken policemen abused me.”
A day after the scuffle, agitating wrestlers offered to return their medals and awards to the government, saying these honours are of no use if they are being subjected to such humiliation.
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“If this is how the wrestlers will be treated, what will we do with the medals? Rather we will live a normal life and return all the medals and awards to the Indian Government,” Bajrang Punia, an Olympic bronze medallist, told reporters on Thursday morning. Punia also asked the politicians not to politicise their protest. “This is our protest to seek justice. Politicians should not politicise it,” he said.
