New Delhi: Wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Sangita Phogat broke down Sunday while speaking to the media at Jantar Mantar where they are leading a protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
“We’re being called liars. We just want justice,” said 2016 Olympics medal winner Malik.
Wrestlers have returned to Jantar Mantar in a follow up of their January protest against then WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, hoping to draw the attention of the sports ministry to the alleged inaction on their charges of sexual abuse.
The protest comes two days after seven wrestlers, reportedly including a minor, filed a complaint at the Connaught Place police station in New Delhi. However, no FIR has been registered yet.
The wrestlers have claimed that police is delaying in filing FIR.
The protesters alleged that they haven’t heard from the Oversight Committee that was constituted to look into their allegations. They also raised questions about the findings of the committee whose report has not been made public.
“We have come back again after trying hard. Two months later, people think that we are liars, our complaint is false. We are unable to tolerate this because we have done wrestling throughout life, with honesty,” said Vinesh.
“Hum yahin rahenge, yahin soyenge aur yahin khaynge (We will stay here, sleep here, eat here),” she said.
These international athletes also claimed that no one from the ministry has reached out to them.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)