Top wrestlers of the country, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, have announced that their ongoing battle against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will now be fought in the court rather than on the streets. The decision was conveyed through identical tweets shared by the athletes.
The wrestlers acknowledged that the government has fulfilled its promise of filing a chargesheet against Brij Bhushan Singh. In their statement on Twitter, they affirmed, “In this case, the wrestlers’ fight will continue till we get justice, but it will be in court and not on the road.”
Also Read: Wrestlers’ protest: Sakshi Malik claims ‘pressure’ on minor’s family for withdrawal of POCSO case
The athletes also expressed their intention to await the fulfilment of promises made by the government regarding the scheduled July 11 elections. Additionally, they announced a temporary break from social media for a few days.
The announcement comes after former wrestler and current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yogeshwar Dutt accused the protesting wrestlers of demanding an exemption from trials ahead of the Asian Games.
Also Read: Hate speech offence not made out against protesting wrestlers: Delhi Police in ATR filed in court
Vinesh Phogat responded to these claims by sharing a picture of a letter addressed to the Sports Ministry, which outlined the wrestlers’ request for additional time to prepare for the trials due to their participation in the protest against Brij Bhushan Singh.
The letter requested a postponement of the trials for the Asian Games and World Championships until after August 10, 2023. The wrestlers cited their prolonged involvement in the protests over the past six months as the reason for needing extra preparation time.
Vinesh Phogat, in a Twitter post, clarified that the wrestlers had only requested a change in the trial date and shared the letter to shed light on the situation. She emphasised the importance of unity among the wrestlers and accused Yogeshwar Dutt of targeting them for his self-interest.
Vinesh further alleged that Dutt had discouraged other wrestlers from joining the protests and insinuated that he may have been offered a position by Brij Bhushan Singh.
Top Olympians including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, were demanding Singh’s arrest on allegations of sexual harassment against seven wrestlers, including the minor, and have been protesting in this regard at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since April.
However, in a closure report filed on June 15, the police recommended the cancellation of the complaint filed by the minor wrestler against Singh, citing “no corroborative evidence”. A chargesheet was also filed against Brij Bhushan Singh. The WFI chief has denied any allegations levelled against him by the wrestlers.