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‘Had come to meet wrestlers, was detained outside protest venue’, says Deepender Hooda
Heavy security has been placed around Jantar Mantar following a late night scuffle between the protesting wrestlers and the police personnel.
Congress leader Deepender Hooda on Thursday said he was detained by the Delhi Police outside the wrestlers' protest venue at Jantar Mantar. He said the police team took him to Vasant Vihar Police post after detention.
“I want to meet wrestlers for five minutes. I will go to the protest venue alone, without my PSO. I will meet the women wrestlers, enquire about their well being and appeal to all to maintain peace”, Hooda is heard speaking to police personnel in a video tweeted on his personal account.
Heavy security has been placed around Jantar Mantar following a late night scuffle between the protesting wrestlers and the police personnel. The wrestlers have alleged they were manhandled by the police personnel.
“We're in need of the support of the whole country, everyone must come to Delhi. Police using force against us, abusing women and doing nothing against Brijbhushan...”, wrestler Bajrang Punia was quoted by ANI as saying.
The scuffle broke out at around 11 pm when the wrestlers were bringing in folding beds for their night stay and the on-duty police personnel allegedly started enquiring about that.
The wrestlers alleged that the police personnel misbehaved with them and abused women wrestlers.
“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 police men are holding guns, they can kill us,” wrestler Vinesh Phogat was quoted by PTI as saying.
“Somnath Bharti brought folding beds to the protest site in Jantar Mantar. Since there was no permission, we didn't allow it, so some of the supporters of the protesting wrestlers tried to take out the beds from the truck and this led to an altercation...”, DCP Pranav Tayal told ANI.
“We have told the wrestlers to give complaint on their grievances and will take appropriate action...medical check-up of the Policeman on whom they've raised allegations, being conducted”, he added.
