Olympic wrestler Sakshi Malik claimed on Monday that BJP leader Babita Phogat encouraged wrestlers to start a protest against Brij Bhushan Singh because she wanted to take over his position as president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
In an interview with India Today TV, Malik said that Phogat held a meeting with several wrestlers, pushing them to protest against issues in the federation, including allegations of molestation. "Babita Phogat suggested we protest against Brij Bhushan Singh because she had her own goal – she wanted to become WFI president," Malik explained. She also dismissed rumors that Congress supported their protest, stating that it was actually two BJP leaders, Babita Phogat and Tirath Rana, who helped them get permission to protest in Haryana.
Brij Bhushan Singh, a former BJP MP, was accused of sexual assault by several female wrestlers last year, leading to weeks of protests demanding an investigation.
Malik emphasized that while the protest was not entirely Phogat's idea, it started based on her suggestion. "We didn't follow her blindly, but we knew there were serious issues like sexual harassment in the federation. We believed having a woman leader, especially someone like Babita Phogat, a fellow wrestler, would bring positive changes. We trusted her, but we never expected she would use us for her own plans," Malik said.
Malik added that they expected Phogat to join them in the protest and speak out as a fellow wrestler.
Malik also criticized Brij Bhushan Singh for saying that the protesting wrestlers were "finished." She pointed to Vinesh Phogat's recent success as proof that his claims were false. "Brij Bhushan said the wrestlers were finished, but Vinesh Phogat proved him wrong by defeating a tough opponent at the Olympics," Malik said.
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