Wrestlers Satyawart Kadian and Sakshi Malik converse throughout a video message, on June 17, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik on June 18 accused BJP chief and former Commonwealth Games gold medallist grappler Babita Phogat of attempting to use the wrestlers for egocentric motive and weaken their protest.
Sakshi and her husband Satyawart Kadian had additionally posted a video on Saturday alleging that it was Babita and one other BJP chief Teerath Rana who had initially taken permission for the grapplers to protest at Jantar Mantar however later began advising them that the platform shouldn’t be utilized by events for political functions.
Rana, nevertheless, mentioned that neither he or Babita tried to initially instigate the protest after which weaken it, saying the wrestlers are the pleasure of the nation and the respect of the sportspersons is uppermost on the thoughts of the BJP.
“Look, wrestlers are the pride of the nation and the respect of sportspersons is uppermost on the mind of the BJP, and I also respect them a lot. I have always supported sportspersons,” mentioned Rana in a video.
The nation’s prime wrestlers together with Sakshi, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia have accused outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and demanded his arrest.
Satyawart and Sakshi additionally furnished a letter, which allegedly confirmed Babita and Rana had taken permission from the Jantar Mantar police station for the wrestlers to stage a sit-in.
Sakshi, in a tweet on Sunday, wrote, “In the video (posted on Saturday), we had taunted Teerath Rana and Babita Phogat that how they were trying to use wrestlers for their selfishness and how when the wrestlers were in trouble, they went and sat on the lap of the government.
“We are positively in bother, however our sense of humour shouldn’t develop into so weak that we can’t even chortle on the jokes of the highly effective,” she added.
Rana, however, denied allegations that he had used the wrestlers for selfish motives.
“The wrestlers got here and met me (earlier than staging the protest) and so they instructed us that they had been being exploited. We mentioned we’re with our sisters and daughters. I’m with the athletes within the battle for justice. I used to be there with them earlier than and am now as nicely,” added Rana.
In April, Vinesh — one of the three top wrestlers leading the protest against Brij Bhushan — had also requested her cousin Babita “to not weaken our motion” by issuing contradictory statements on social media.
Satyawart, a heavy-weight wrestler, has said their fight is apolitical and not against the government.
“We are protesting for the final a number of months demanding the arrest of outgoing WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as a result of he has sexually harassed ladies wrestlers.
“A narrative is being created in public that our movement is politically motivated. Everyone knows that we initially came to the protest site at Jantar Matar in January and the permission for the protest was taken by two BJP leaders.
“We have proof of the permission taken from Jantar Mantar police station. It was taken by BJP leaders Teerth Rana and Babita Phogat,” he said.
Rana denied having said that there would be violence if the wrestlers drowned their Olympic medals in river Ganga at Haridwar.
A day after they were detained by police for trying to march towards the new Parliament building on its inauguration date, the protesting wrestlers wrestlers reached Haridwar to drown their medals but were persuaded not to do so amid chaotic scenes.
“Well, there was no such discuss that it (drowning of medals) would lead to violence. There was anger among the many sportspersons and so they took a call that they might drown their medals in river Ganga…however the nation’s sentiments had been that the athletes shouldn’t take such a step,” added Rana.
