Top wrestlers of the country including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia have accused Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Charan Singh of sexual harassment and intimidation. They were also involved in the struggle. Subsequently, the wrestlers involved in the protest were evicted from the Jandar Mantar on May 28.
It is also worth noting that before that, leaders of various political parties including Priyanka Gandhi of Congress, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik had visited the protest site and expressed their condolences. The wrestlers’ struggle has been going on for months.
In this situation, Sakshi Malik, who has won several medals for India in the Olympic Games, along with her husband and wrestler Sathyavarth Kadian, released a video on Twitter yesterday (17-6-23). Sathyavard said, “The struggle we have carried out is not for any political purpose. It is because of the lack of unity among the wrestlers that they have faced so much harassment and intimidation over the years and have not raised their voices against it. And a false story is being built about this struggle. It should be clarified.
We visited Jandar Mantar last January. Those who requested permission letter from the police for our protest are related to BJP. (In the video, Sakshi shows a letter written by ex-wrestler Babita Phogat and Theerat Rana).
This protest was not supported by the Congress party. 90% of the wrestlers here know that wrestlers here have been facing a lot of harassment and intimidation for the past 10-12 years. But the reason we didn’t raise our voice against it then was because the wrestlers didn’t unite. “Also, our protest is against the WFI leader and not against the government,” he said.
Sakshi Malik then said, “You saw that girl withdrew her complaint. Her family was threatened. These wrestlers come from poor families. It is not easy to muster the courage to oppose an incumbent. On May 28 last, the police bombarded us in a van and harassed us a lot. There was a lot of criticism all over the country.