Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — After getting evicted from Jantar Mantar on May 28, top wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshee Malik and Vinesh Phogat have resumed their duties in the Railways, clarifying that they will not hesitate to leave work if it comes in the way of their fight for justice against wrestling federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, media reports say.
As per reports, records from the Northern Railways headquarters show Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshee Malik joined her Baroda House office here on May 31, a day after the trio stopped short of immersing their international medals in the Ganga.
Sakshee Malik and Bajrang Punia on Monday rejected media reports which claimed that they have withdrawn from the ongoing protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who allegedly sexually harassed several female grapplers.
“The news is completely wrong. None of us has backed down. We will continue our fight for justice and meanwhile I am fulfilling my responsibility in Railways,” Shakshee said in a tweet.
Bajrang Punia tweeted: “The news of withdrawing the movement is just a rumour. These news are being spread to harm us. We have neither retreated nor have we withdrawn the movement. The news of women wrestlers raising FIR is also false. The fight will continue till justice is served.”
Earlier, Bajrang, Sakshi and Vinesh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence to discuss the matter related to their protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
“They shared their concern with the Home Minister. The meeting was long and he listened to everything. But ‘koi decision nahi hua abhi tak (no decision has been reached so far)’,” a source close to the wrestlers told IANS.
Bajrang, Sakshi and Vinesh have been leading the protest by the wrestlers since April, accusing the sidelined president of the WFI, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment against many wrestlers, including a minor.
The protesting wrestlers were manhandled and detained by Delhi Police and their arrangements at the protest site, Jantar Mantar, were dismantled.
The wrestlers had gone to Haridwar claiming that they wanted to drop their medals in the river Ganga. With many people requesting them not to take the drastic action, they decided to hand over the medals to the farmers’ leaders to take a call. — (With agency inputs)
