AAP counters Divya Kakran's claim, says she's been playing for UP since 2017

Divya Kakran on Thursday held a press conference and recounted how she struggled with no money; she used to sit next to train toilets, she said adding that she started fighting from UP in 2018.

The Aam Aadmi Party government of Delhi on Thursday put out 'evidence' that wrestler Divya Kakran who has been claiming non-cooperation by the Delhi government received Delhi's assistance before 2017 when she used to represent Delhi. Citing an email exchange between the government department and the Wrestling Federation of India, AAP claimed that WFI has clarified that Divya Kakran has been representing Uttar Pradesh since 2017.

Divya Kakran on Thursday said she had no money for travel, used to sit next to train toilets but Delhi govt never helped her.

In another document, AAP showed the amount of money that has been paid to Divya Kakran by the Delhi government between 2010 and 2017. In 2013-14, she received ₹1 lakh from the government; in 2014-15 an amount of ₹42,000 and the same amount in 2016-17, according to the document.

Divya Kakran never applied for cash incentives after 2018 and she also never applied for financial assistance under Mission Excellence or Play and Progress, the document said.

As Divya Kakran's claim has triggered a BJP versus AAP war -- amid other issues both parties are warring on -- the AAP took a jibe at the BJP's attack that AAP insulted the athlete by asking for evidence of which state she represents. "India won a total of 61 medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. All Players belong to India. They all represented India. They brought glory to India and not just their respective states. As per BJP's Logic, all 17 states ruled by BJP should reward cash to all 61 players," the party said.

Amid the BJP-AAP tussle over the issue of aid to Divya Kakran, the wrestler on Thursday held a press conference and recounted how she struggled with poverty but received no help from the Delhi government. She said she used to travel sitting next to train toilets as she had no money to travel. The wrestler said after she started playing for the UP in 2018, she got Rani Laxmi Bai award in 2019, a life-long pension in 2020. After her Commonwealth Games feat, the UP government announced ₹50 lakh award for her along with a gazetted officer rank post. "I have been fighting kushti for so long. Nobody would pay me if I fought with girls, so I fought with boys to keep up my nourishment. By 2017, I'd given Delhi 58 medals to Delhi," Divya Kakran said.