Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Babita Phogat gave a veiled critique on Wednesday regarding Olympic wrestler Sakshi Malik's assertion that she had motivated the wrestlers to protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
In a post on X, Phogat, without explicitly naming Malik, implied that the allegations directed at her were intended to boost the sales of Malik's new book.
"Shine with your own character. How long will the borrowed light last? Some got assembly seats, some got posts sister, and you did not get anything, I can understand your pain. In order to sell the book, she sold her integrity," Babita Phogat wrote on X.
Sakshi Malik, along with wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, has been a prominent figure in the ongoing protest against Brij Bhushan Singh. The three athletes have accused Singh, the former head of the Wrestling Federation of India, of sexually harassing women wrestlers during his time in office. The case is currently ongoing in a Delhi court.
Sakshi Malik claimed on Monday that BJP leader Babita Phogat was the one who encouraged wrestlers to initiate the protest against Brij Bhushan Singh, motivated by her desire to replace him as president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). In an interview with India Today TV, Malik alleged that Phogat had called a meeting with various wrestlers, urging them to speak out against the alleged misconduct within the federation, which included instances of molestation.
"Babita Phogat approached us with the idea of protesting against Brij Bhushan Singh because she had her own agenda — she wanted to become the WFI president," Malik said. "There are rumours that Congress supported our protest, but that’s false. In fact, two BJP leaders helped us secure permission to protest in Haryana - Babita Phogat and Tirath Rana," Malik said to India Today.
Malik added that while the protest was not entirely driven by Phogat, it was initiated at her suggestion.
She remarked that it was not a matter of blindly following Phogat, as the wrestlers were aware of serious issues such as sexual harassment and molestation within the federation. They believed that having a woman in leadership, particularly someone like Babita Phogat, who is also a sportsperson, would lead to positive change. The wrestlers trusted that Phogat would understand their struggles but did not expect her to engage in what they felt was a manipulative game.
Malik expressed that they thought Phogat would stand with them in the protest and raise her voice against the misconduct as a fellow wrestler.
Earlier, on Tuesday, newly elected Congress MLA from Julana and Olympian Vinesh Phogat also responded to Sakshi Malik's recent comment about her and Bajrang Punia being influenced by certain individuals. Vinesh stated that her sole greed was to get justice for the female wrestlers who had been allegedly abused.
In her newly released book 'Witness', Sakshi Malik said that people close to wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia had started filling their minds with greed.
Bajrang Punia, who was also one of the three main wrestlers during the wrestler's protest, alongside Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik said that it is Phogat's personal view.