Sakshi Malik quits: Brij Bhushan says no vendetta; aide says ‘politics with politics’
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said the protesting wrestlers will be treated with fairness if they want to continue wrestling.
New Delhi: The election of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's aide Sanjay Singh to the post of Wrestling Federation of India has prompted Olympic medal winner Sakshi Malik to quit the sport. In a press conference, the champion wrestler put her shoe on the table to show her protest and later cried on camera. Reacting to Sanjay Singh's election to the body that controls wrestling in India, BJP MP Brij Bhushan assured there won't be any vendetta politics against wrestlers who accused him of sexual harassment or protest to demand his removal as the WFI chief.
Singh said the protesting wrestlers will be treated with fairness if they want to continue wrestling. "There will be no partiality. All will get support from WFI," he told PTI.
"We have to look after the game and not the mistakes of the wrestlers. If they will suffer due to their mistakes, then the federation will not be impartial," he added.
Sakshi Malik and many other elite wrestlers launched a massive protest earlier this year seeking action against Brij Bhushan for allegedly sexually harassing women wrestlers. After several weeks, the Delhi Police ended their protest at Jantar Mantar on May 28.
The wrestlers had officially called off their protest on June 7 when the Sports Minister assured them that none of the family members or close associates of Brij Bhushan will be allowed to enter the WFI election fray, PTI reported.
On Thursday, ace wrestler Bajrang Punia said the government went back on its promise.
"It's unfortunate that the government did not stand by its word that no Brij Bhushan loyalist will contest the WFI election," he said.
Sanjay Singh is a loyalist of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. His panel won 13 of the 15 posts. He was the vice president of the UP Wrestling Association. He runs a construction business.
"It's a triumph for thousands of wrestlers in the country who suffered in the past 7-8 months," Sanjay Singh told reporters after his huge win.
"We will respond to politics with politics and wrestling with wrestling," he added.
Sakshi, teary-eyed, said she wanted a female president.
"We fought from our heart but if a man like Brij Bhushan, his business partner and a close aide has been elected as the president of WFI, then I quit wrestling," said a teary-eyed Sakshi, and kept her shoes on the table in a dramatic announcement.
"We wanted a female president but that did not happen," the 31-year-old said.
With inputs from PTI
Recommended Topics