29th May 2023,Mumbai: Uorfi Javed, a prominent figure who recently expressed her support for the ongoing protest by wrestlers in New Delhi, has brought a unique perspective to the conversation. Taking to her Twitter account, she shared a modified image of Sangeeta and Vinesh Phogat, capturing the moment following their arrest by the police. This altered image has since gained significant popularity, prompting Uorfi to question those who had been circulating the incorrect photograph.
Voicing her concern, Uorfi Javed questioned the motives behind manipulating pictures to propagate false narratives. She emphasized the importance of not stooping so low as to rely on lies solely to discredit someone. Additionally, she shared a video highlighting the police presence at the protest site as they attempted to disperse the demonstrators.
The modified photograph depicted Sangeeta Phogat and Vinesh Phogat wearing smiles inside a police van, with the police removing them. However, the original image portrayed them with grave expressions. Bajrang Punia, another supporter of the cause, shared these identical images on Twitter. Addressing the dissemination of the false picture, Uorfi tweeted, “IT cell people are spreading this false picture. We firmly declare that legal action will be taken against whoever posted this fabricated image.”
The protest by the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar has been ongoing, directed against the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Their demands include his arrest for alleged sexual harassment of women within the wrestling community. Reports suggest that the wrestlers were forcefully loaded onto buses and transported to undisclosed locations. On the same day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new parliament complex, the Delhi Police cleared the protest area, confiscating the wrestlers’ belongings, including cots, mattresses, coolers, fans, and the tarpaulin roof.
Deependra Pathak, the Special CP of Law and Order, stated, “They were detained for violating the law and order. Following an investigation, legal action will be taken as soon as possible,” addressing the authorities’ response to the wrestlers’ actions. Actor and producer Pooja Bhatt shared her thoughts on the incident, tweeting, “Male priests were escorted respectfully past the parliament. Female athletes, on the other hand, are being mistreated in public. What are we supposed to feel? Joy? Sadness? Pride? Shame? It’s a confusing and disheartening experience.”