Wrestlers Sakshi Malik And Her Husband Says They Are Against Brij Bhushan Not The Government
Update: 2023-06-18 11:00 IST
Sakshi Malik and Satyawart Kadian, two of India's top wrestlers, clarified on Saturday that they were fighting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh not than the national government. In a video posted on Twitter on Saturday, Sakshi clarified all the allegations that had been circulating about them from the past few days.
Satyawart explained in the video that due to Brij Bhushan Singh's sexual assault of female wrestlers, they have been protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief. He ran the wrestling association while engaging in numerous scams. Rumours are being propagated, a narrative is being sold against them, and certain media outlets are publishing false information. They remarked that the video's objective is to communicate their truth.
Satyawart stated that Brij Bhushan, who has been accused of sexual harassment by numerous female wrestlers, is the target of their clash. They have repeatedly stated that the WFI chief, who is accused of committing the crimes while in charge of the federation, is the target of our struggle, not the government.
He asserted that around 90% of those involved in the sport of wrestling were aware of the things being done to women wrestlers for the last 10 to 12 years.
Further elaborating on charges that the wrestlers' protest was motivated by politics and that Congress politician Deepender Hooda was behind it. He clarified that they were initially accused of a protest motivated by politics. According to reports, Deepender Hooda, the leader of the Congress, inspired them to start the demonstration. They asked two BJP leaders for their consent before beginning this demonstration in January. They stated that they have evidence to support that.
Sakshi also detailed why the wrestlers had allegedly been subjected to sexual harassment and claimed that they had been accused of keeping quiet for too long. According to Sakshi, there are numerous causes for it. While mentioning some of the major causes, she added that "We were not united and secondly, there were minors among the victims. She (the minor wrestler, who accused Singh of sexual harassment and whose complaint a POCSO case was filed against him) gave her statements under IPC sections 161 and 164. However, she later retracted her statement as her family was threatened," reported Zee News.
They thanked the viewers for their support of their cause and emphasised the importance of everyone taking a stand against injustice at the conclusion of the video speech.