Rumor’s debunk: Wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia withdrawal from protest

Top wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia denied media reports that they had withdrawn from the ongoing protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexually harassing several female grapplers. “This news is completely wrong. In the fight for justice, none of us has […]

Wrestlers Protest
by Reena Choudhary - June 5, 2023, 4:45 pm

Top wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia denied media reports that they had withdrawn from the ongoing protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexually harassing several female grapplers.

“This news is completely wrong. In the fight for justice, none of us has backed down, nor will we. Along with Satyagraha, I am fulfilling my responsibility in Railways. Our fight continues till justice is served. Please don’t spread any wrong news,” Malik tweeted sharing a screenshot of a news report from a news channel.

“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 We have neither retreated nor have we withdrawn the movement.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,” Punia tweeted.

Malik, Punia, and Vinesh Phogat, who were evicted from their Jantar Mantar protest site on May 28, have returned to work for Indian Railways. According to Northern Railways headquarters, Malik joined her Baroda House office in New Delhi on May 31, a day after the high drama in Haridwar, where the trio stopped short of immersing their international medals in the Ganga due to a late intervention by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait.

Malik authorized the conduct of Railways inter-divisional championships in cricket (men), badminton (men), weightlifting, basketball (men), volleyball (men), kabaddi (men), wrestling, boxing (men), athletics (men), and hockey (men) in a letter dated May 31.