Does not support wrestler's protest, says former wrestler and BJP leader Babita Phogat

New Delhi: Olympian wrestler and BJP leader Babita Phogat said that she has been against wrestlers' protests from the beginning. She also called protesting wrestler Sakshee Malikkh a puppet of the Congress party.

Her statement was issued on Twitter soon after Sakshee Malikkh and her husband wrestler Satyawart Kadian thanked Babita for supporting the movement and working as a mediator.

Babita tweeted in Hindi and said claims of her supporting the protest are false. She wrote: "Yesterday I felt very sad and laughed too when I was watching the video of my little sister (Sakshee Malikkh) and her husband. First of all, I want to make it clear that the permission paper which was shown by her. I have nothing to do with it and neither it has my signature."

"I have been saying from day one that I have faith in the Prime Minister and the judicial system of the country. The truth will definitely come out. As a female player, I was always with all the players of the country and will be, but I was against the protest from the beginning. I had told all the wrestlers that you should meet the Prime Minister or the Union Home Minister. And the solution will come from there only," she added.

She accused Congress leaders of using protesting wrestlers for political benefits.

"But you found your solution in @DeependerSHooda @INCIndia and @priyankagandhi, and others who themselves are guilty of rape and other cases. But the people of the country have now recognized the faces of the opposition. The opposition should now answer to all those soldiers, farmers, and women wrestlers with whose emotions they have played for their political benefit," she further wrote.

"With all the prejudices, the thoughts of the women players who were sitting together on the dharna were given such a direction where only political benefits are visible. Today, when this video of yours is in front of everyone, the people of the country will now understand that on the auspicious day of the inauguration of the new Parliament House. Your protest and attempt to immerse the medal in the Ganges were like embarrassing the country," said Babita Phogat.

She also called Sakshee a puppet. "The people of the country have understood that you have become a puppet in the hands of Congress. Now the time has come that you should tell your real intentions because now the public is asking you questions."

Sakshee soon responded to Babita and accused her of using the ongoing protest for selfish reasons.

"In the video, we taunted Tirath Rana and Babita Phogat that how they were trying to use wrestlers for their selfishness and how when the wrestlers were in trouble, they went and sat on the lap of the government. We are definitely in trouble, but our sense of humour should not become so weak that we cannot even laugh at the jokes of the powerful," she wrote.

In the video posted on Twitter on Saturday, Satyawart Kadian said: "We have been protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief Brij Bhushan Singh because he sexually abused women wrestlers. He has also been involved in many scams while running the wrestling federation. A narrative is being peddled against us, rumours are being spread and a section of the media is putting out misleading reports. The purpose of this video is to share our truth."

"We have said many times that our fight is not against the government but the WFI chief, who committed the crimes as was alleged while at the helm of the federation. I can say for certain that 90 percent of people associated with wrestling, including the wrestlers themselves and their coaches, were aware of what was happening to our women wrestlers for the last 10 to 12 years. Some coaches have come out with evidence before the media as well," he added.

He also addressed the claims about politics being involved in the protest.

"We were first accused of a protest inspired by politics. It was said Congress leader Deepender Hooda instigated us to launch the protest. We launched this protest in January and sought prior permission from two BJP leaders. We have proof of that," he said.

Sakshee Malikkh also clarified why they did not come out against the alleged sexual harassment earlier.

"We were accused of being quiet for too long. However, there are many reasons for it. We were not united and secondly, there were minors among the victims. She (the minor wrestler, who accused Singh of sexual harassment and whose complaint a POCSO case was filed against him) gave her statements under IPC sections 161 and 164. However, she later retracted her statement as her family was threatened," she said in the video.

The wrestlers first came out with the allegations in January 2023. After the Centre promised to create an oversight committee to investigate, the protest was called off. However, due to a lack of action against the accused WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, the protests once again started in April 2023 and have been going on since then.