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Priyanka Gandhi meets Sakshi Malik day after she quit wrestling: ‘As a woman...’
Priyanka Gandhi met Sakshi Malik on Friday; Bajrang Punia announced to return his Padma Shri in protest against the insult to women wrestlers.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday met Sakshi Malik at the wrestler's residence a day after Sakshi announced her retirement from wrestling in protest against the election of Sanjay Singh as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India. Sanjay Singh is close to former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh against whom the top women wrestlers brought allegations of sexual misconduct. Electing a loyalist Brij Bhushan as the new chief of the federation makes no difference, Sakshi Malik said as she kept her boots on the table announcing her retirement from the sport with tears in her eyes.
After meeting Sakshi, Priyanka Gandhi said she came here as a woman. "What has happened to these girls is beyond disgusting," Priyanka Gandhi said.
After Sakshi Malik announced that she would quit wrestling, Bajrang Punia announced that he would return his Padma Shri as his fellow women wrestlers were not safe. Bajrang Punia kept his medal on the road and said he would not take it to home when he was stopped by the police. "As I have said earlier we were fighting for our daughters and sisters. I could not get justice for them. Due to this, I think I do not deserve this honour. I came here to return my award, However, I could not meet with PM because I didn't have an appointment. PM has a busy schedule. So I am putting my award on the letter written to PM. I will not take this medal to my home," Bajrang Punia told reporters.
Bajrang Punia earlier wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he is returning his Padma Shri as a mark of protest over the results of the WFI elections where Sanjay Singh, an aide of former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was elected as the president.
This is not the first time Priyanka Gandhi met the wrestlers. When they were protesting at Jantar Mantar earlier this year, the Congress leader joined them.
The insult is not just to Sakshi Malik or Bajrang Punia but to the entire country, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said. " It is shameful that the players who have raised India's prestige in the world are helpless in front of their own government. The Prime Minister should at least have given up his ego in this matter and assured justice to the players who made the country proud. But the Prime Minister and BJP are with the accused of sexual exploitation. The country stands with its champions," Jairam Ramesh said.
Bajrang's personal decision to return Padma Shri: Sports ministry
The sports ministry reacted to Bajrang Punia's decision to return the Padma Shri and said it was his personal decision. "It is Bajrang Punia's personal decision to return Padma Shri. The WFI elections were held in fair and democratic manner. We will still try to persuade Bajrang to reverse his decision to return Padma Shri," a ministry official told PTI.
