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Wrestlers' Protest Row: CM Kejriwal Terms BJP's Treatment 'Shameful'; DCW Chief Swati Maliwal Meets Wrestlers

Delhi CM Kejriwal in a tweet in Hindi said that arrogance has gone to the head of the BJP and it wanted to run the system through 'hooliganism' as he called on people to throw it out of power.  

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Delhi CM Arvind Jekriwal
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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday slammed the BJP over the scuffle at Jantar Mantar between wrestlers and police and called its treatment of national sportspersons shameful and arrogant.

Kejriwal in a tweet in Hindi said that arrogance has gone to the head of the BJP and it wanted to run the system through "hooliganism" as he called on people to throw it out of power.  

Kejriwal sharing a video of Jantar Mantar tweeted "such behaviour with the champion players of the country? This is extremely unfortunate and shameful..."  

"I appeal to all the people in the country...no more...do not tolerate BJP's hooliganism, the time has come to uproot the BJP and chase them away," he wrote.  

Kejriwal had recently visited the wrestlers and extended his support to them.  

A scuffle broke out late Wednesday night between the wrestlers staging a protest at Jantar Mantar and some policemen, leading to a couple of protesters getting injured.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Somnath Bharti and Congress leader Deepender Hooda were among the people who were detained after the incident, according to police.

In a video that circulated on social media, some of the protesters were seen accusing a policeman of attacking two wrestlers in a drunken state.

According to police, protesters became aggressive after policemen deployed there asked some people about cots being brought by Bharti.

The wrestlers have been on a sit-in since April 23 demanding arrest of WFI president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a sexual harassment accused.  

The Delhi Police had on February 28 filed two FIRs against the WFI president in the matter and subsequently offered to provide security to the female wrestlers who filed complaints against him.

Delhi Commission For Women Chief Swati Maliwal meets protestors

Delhi Commission For Women on Thursday met the wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar, hours after a scuffle broke out at the spot between grapplers and police leading to a couple of protesters getting injured.  

Before the meeting, Maliwal had alleged that she was not being allowed to meet the wrestlers. 

 In a video shared by her on Twitter, she could be seen telling policemen that she holds a constitutional post and wanted to meet the protesters.  

In response to her tweet, DCP, New Delhi, tweeted, "Hon’ble Chairperson DCW was stopped at the barricade by an officer and let go immediately. She is presently inside at the protest site. There is no restriction on individual entry to Jantar Mantar."  

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."

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.

The wrestlers have alleged that they were beaten up by some policemen Wednesday night.

According to them, two wrestlers Rahul Yadav and Dushyant Phogat were injured in the fight. Vinesh Phogat, an award winning wrestler, too received head injuries.

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.

(With PTI Inputs)