Let them fight their battle, hopefully it will be resolved: Sourav Ganguly on wrestlers' protest
May 05, 2023
New Delhi [India], May 5 : Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly on Friday said wrestlers have brought a lot of accolades to the country and hoped that the matter between protesting grapplers and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will be resolved soon.
Some of India's top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, have been protesting near the Jantar Mantar against the WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment, demanding his arrest.
Ganguly said the wrestlers should be allowed to fight their battle. However, he admitted that he doesn't have much knowledge on the issue and, hence, it won't be prudent for him to air any comment in the matter.
"Let them fight their battle. I really don't know what's happening there, I just read in the newspapers. I realised one thing in the sports world, that you don't talk about things which you don't have complete knowledge of. I hope it gets resolved. Wrestlers bring a lot of accolades to the country and hopefully, it will be resolved," Ganguly said at an event.
On April 23 Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Mallik returned to the protest site at Jantar Mantar. They claimed that six women wrestlers, and a minor, filed a sexual harassment complaint against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Connaught Place police station.
Seven days into the protest, police registered two FIRs against WFI president Brij Bhushan over allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation of women wrestlers by him.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha met the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar.
Usha, a retired Indian track-and-field athlete and a Rajya Sabha MP, had earlier ruffled feathers with her remarks that the wrestlers should have approached the IOA instead of hitting the streets against the WFI and its president.
On Wednesday night, a scuffle broke out between the protesting wrestlers and Delhi Police at the protest site. The wrestlers claimed they were manhandled and abused by the police personnel.
Hours after a scuffle between wrestlers and Delhi Police at the protest site, ace grappler Bajrang Punia on Thursday said the wrestlers would consider returning the medals, which they won for the country over the years, if police continue to dishonour them.
Punia alleged that drunk police personnel manhandled wrestlers on Wednesday late night when they wanted to bring in folding beds to the protest site.
"If this is how medallists are honoured, what is the use for these medals? It is better that we lead a modest life and return the medals we have won to the government. The police were drunk and mistreated wrestlers by pushing and abusing them," Punia told reporters at the protest site.
The protesting wrestlers have made it clear that they won't end their stir until they get justice and Brij Bhushan is removed as WFI chief and put behind bars.
