The chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has released a video statement in response to the sexual harassment allegations levelled against him by the top Indian women’s wrestlers. The likes of Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, among others, are protesting at Jantar Mantar with various demands in relation to the case.
Earlier today, news agency PTI shared a video tweet in which Brij Bhushan was seen speaking for nearly a minute about his life in the aftermath of the sexual harassment allegations. He said, “Friends, the day I will review my life, what I have achieved and what I have lost, and the day I will feel that my capacity to struggle has ended, the day I will feel I am helpless, I am weak, I would not like to live such kind of life and would rather like to embrace death.”
It has also been reported that a physiotherapist, who was working at the National Camp in 2014 in the city of Lucknow, has come out and detailed an incident in relation to the sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief. He said that at least three junior women’s wrestlers had told him about being pressured and “asked to meet Brij Bhushan at night.”
Bajrang Punia, who had recently tweeted an emotional letter to his player friends about standing with the women’s wrestlers in their fight for justice, has finally got some support from the former Jammu and Kashmir governor, Satyapal Malik, who had joined in on the protest being carried out against Brij Bhushan at Jantar Mantar.
Abhinav Bindra, the former Olympic gold medalist has also put out a heartrending tweet about the matter. He raised his concerns about the athletes protesting in the street while mentioning the need for everyone to work towards creating a safe and secure environment for all athletes to thrive in.
