Even as India’s protesting wrestlers sat on the banks of the Ganga, threatening to immerse their medals, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi went on a run to avoid answering questions on their protest.
In a video that’s now viral on social media, a woman with a mic asked Lekhi, “Wrestlers apne medals bahane ja rahe hain, unke bare mein kya kahengi aap?” (Wrestlers are going to immerse their medals, what would you like to comment on it?)
The reporter appeared to be with iNews Hindi, a YouTube channel that has over 789,000 subscribers.
Lekhi began running and the journalist gave chase, with several others in tow. Lekhi finally said, “Kanooni prakriya chal rahi hai.” (The legal process is going on.)
Hours before this interaction, Lekhi had inaugurated a toilet and water cooler in Delhi’s Connaught Place.
Unsurprisingly, social media had much to say.
Union Minister for External Affairs & Culture @M_Lekhi has time to innagurate and dedicate Water coolers and Toilets but when asked to answer about #WrestlersProtest pic.twitter.com/BNfhlfWxyd https://t.co/NZLlzJt38y
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 30, 2023
Meenakshi Lekhi running
— Nimo Tai (@Cryptic_Miind) May 30, 2023
away from questions. pic.twitter.com/g8lynItMuR
अगर सवालों से भागने का कोई ओलंपिक होता तो सबसे अधिक मेडल भारत में ही आते भाजपा के सौजन्य से।
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) May 30, 2023
pic.twitter.com/wHc5m3s1Op
देशवासियों, बहा देने दीजिए पहलवानों को अपने मेडल। बीजेपी वाले भागने में मेडल ला कर दिखायेंगे। pic.twitter.com/YzDl5L8Y4Y
— MANJUL (@MANJULtoons) May 30, 2023
Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi makes a run for it as reporters repeatedly ask her about the protest by the wrestlers. On another note, she runs fast https://t.co/w7aruLHtE6
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) May 30, 2023
As for the wrestlers, they’ve now said they will hold off on immersing their medals for five days, to see if action will be taken. They’re demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh on charges of sexual harassment of female athletes. On May 28, the Delhi police forcefully ended their sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar.
While too many sportspeople in India have maintained a studied silence on their protest, the international governing body for wrestling issued a statement in support of the wrestlers on May 30.
Wrestling's world governing body has issued its first statement about the protests by the Indian wrestlers. pic.twitter.com/7mJxWoomQv
— ESPN India (@ESPNIndia) May 30, 2023
Newslaundry has been reporting on the protest from the start. Read this report on why WFI chief Singh thinks he’s above the law.
Newslaundry is a reader-supported, ad-free, independent news outlet based out of New Delhi. Support their journalism, here.
