Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, for the second time in six days, threw her weight behind the protesting wrestlers in Delhi, urging them to stay strong, after an act of alleged highhandedness by police there against the protesters.

The Bengal chief minister issued a statement on Twitter.

“Disrobing the honour of our daughters in this manner is utterly shameful. India stands by its daughters and Ias a human being definitely stand by our wrestlers,” she tweeted.

“....You can assault them but can’t break their spirit. The fight is right and the fight will continue,” she added.

The wrestlers’ protest gained a major wave of sympathy after the alleged police excesses of Wednesday night. Mamata was one of many Opposition leaders to speak out against it.

“Don’t dare to hurt our wrestlers, the nation is watching their tears and the nation won’t forgive you. I urge our wrestlers to stay strong, I share all my strength with them,” she tweeted.

This was Mamata’s second message of support on social media since April 28, when she had also sent Trinamul RajyaSabha member Dola Sen and its Arambagh MP AparupaPoddar to meet the wrestlers at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to express solidarity.

Around 11 pm on Wednesday night, AAP MLA Somnath Bharti arrived with foldable cots at the protest site on Jantar Mantar Road which was flooded after heavy rain. The AAP leader was stopped by police on the grounds that he did not have permission to bring additional material at the only designated protest site in New Delhi district that is regulated by the police.

The wrestlers — protesting against alleged sexual harassment by Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh— got into a scuffle with the police and were able to forcibly bring in some cots. Several of them, including women, were allegedly roughed up.

Protest leaders Vinesh Phogat, Sakshe Malikkh, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat broke down before TV cameras.

During her political event in Malda, Mamata brought up the subject again.

“Yesterday, they went and beat up the wrestlers who are in a movement…. The attack was organised at midnight. We want to know how many central teams have been sent to the place for investigation. In Bengal, they sent 151 central teams so far,” said Mamata. “It (The BJP) is a dangerous political party, more dangerous than a python.... They only participate in the politics of hatred and death.”