Singh's allegations baseless, he is trying to break our movement: Vinesh
NEW DELHI: Leading wrestlers protesting against WFI chief and BJP strongman, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at the Jantar Mantar here now fear that their sit-in has become more of a political tool for some opposition parties to promote their anti-BJP agenda and to corner the ruling dispensation over the sensitive issue. They are now worried about becoming pawns in the bigger political battle.
"Several people are entering the protest site and trying to project our movement as a 'bhadkau andolan'. But I want to tell them that this is the fight to save Indian wrestling from people like Brij Bhushan. People are here to support us and not to derive any political gains," Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, one of the faces of the protest along with Olympians Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Malikkh, told mediapersons here on Saturday.
"Politics is secondary to us. What is important is the dignity and honour of our women sportspersons. This is a players' movement, so don't link it with any political party," he added. The wrestlers might be feeling perturbed by the turn of events, but it's also a fact that it was they themselves who gave a call to political parties to join their stir against Singh this time.
When the wrestlers had first sat on a protest in January this year, they had not let any political party or politician share the stage with them.
On Saturday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with the party's Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana, Deepender Singh Hooda, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi visited the wrestlers at the protest site.
Vadra and Kejriwal, while expressing their solidarity with the wrestlers, also chose the platform to criticise the BJP-ruled dispensation for its 'insensitive handling' of the issue, where the protesting grapplers have been forced to spend nights on the streets under open sky demanding justice.
"A few people are trying to take our movement to a different direction. We don't approve of it. This is a fight for justice for India's daughters," said Bajrang.
Vinesh, too, tried to steer clear of any political colour after a group of people raised anti-Modi slogans during the sit-in on Saturday. "I want to tell the people holding constitutional posts that the common man also deserves respect and justice. We will never say anything against their honour. If we had said anything by mistake, we sincerely apologise for that because that was never our intention. We have been taught to respect elders. But, at the same time, we also want respect from the same set of people," she said.
The wrestlers' cause has also not been helped by Phogat family members - Vinesh and Babita - publicly indulging in bitter infighting on twitter. After Vadra's visit to Jantar Mantar to meet the protesting wrestlers, Babita, a BJP politician, tweeted: "Priyanka Vadra has reached Jantar Mantar with her personal secretary Sandeep Singh to seek justice for women wrestlers. But Singh has himself been accused of molesting women and insulting a Dalit woman."
Vinesh reacted sharply to her cousin sister's comment and asked her to not weaken their movement: "If you cannot stand for the rights of the affected female wrestlers, then Babita sister, I request you with folded hands not to weaken our movement. It has taken years for female wrestlers to speak up against their molesters. You are also a woman, try to understand our pain," Vinesh tweeted.
Singh alleged that the protesting wrestlers repeatedly avoided participating in Senior and Open Nationals by seeking exemptions. Vinesh said that she skipped Nationals only four times in her career due to injury, Covid-19 and other reasons. "I have competed in 10 Nationals in my career. By God's grace, I have never faced defeat in Nationals. Singh's allegations are baseless as he is trying to break us," she added.
Adding to that, Bajrang said, "This issue is not about Nationals. This is about sexual harassment. He should answer those questions. He should be arrested and put behind bars."
