'You met Brij Bhushan, he secretly offered you...': Vinesh levels allegations on Yogeshwar

Why you're reading this: 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat has launched a fresh attack on Yogeshwar Dutt in response to the latter's remark on Saturday. Vinesh, along with Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, conducted a Facebook live, where she responded to Yogeshwar Dutt's statement to a media channel earlier in the day. Bajrang and Sakshi also spoke in the same voice and criticised the BJP leader's latest stance. 

3 things you need to know

• The wrestlers have been protesting against the former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh since January
• They levelled some serious charges of harassment and sexual abuse against BJP MP Singh
• The government formed an oversight committee to investigate the matter and Yogeshwar was part of it

Also Read: Several Wrestlers' Coaches & Parents Demand Removal Of Exemption Offered To Six Wrestlers

'Some of our players cannot digest respect. They are poisoning the masses'

In her statement on Saturday, Vinesh Phogat countered Yogeshwar Dutt's claim and accused him of secretly meeting Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh during the investigation and leaking crucial details to him. She also alleged that Singh may have offered the WFI president's position to Yogeshwar and that is why he is protecting him against these allegations by wrestlers.

"We used to respect you, but when we were in trouble, you did not back us. Everyone knows how you secretly met Brij Bhushan despite being part of the investigating committee. He may have offered you the president's position, that's why you are saving him. Don't you have any shame? You never felt like you're betraying these girls and the entire wrestling community by siding with Brij Bhushan?" Vinesh said. 

"We did not ask for exemption from trials, just asked for time to prepare," Sakshi Malik said. 

"If you had problems with one-bout trial, you should have gone to the sports minister. But you chose to spread poison through social media. We are ready to quit wrestling if it is proved that we asked for exemption. We never wrote any letter for exemption," Bajrang said.

"We will continue our fight till Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is punished, we are waiting for chargesheet," Vinesh said.

Note, Yogeshwar Dutt had come out in support of his party colleague and former chief Brij Bhushan Singh, saying that the protesting wrestlers are a stooge of the opposition parties. Recently, Yogeshwar attacked the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) ad-hoc committee for exempting six protesting wrestlers from World Championships and Asian Games trials. Vinesh, Sakshi, and Bajrang were his main targets as they are the ones benefitting from the IOA's decision.

The decision states that the six wrestlers will have to just fight with the winners of the national trials in their respective categories to qualify for the tournaments. Yogeshwar called it "injustice" to the junior wrestlers of the country.

"I don't understand why these six wrestlers have been given the exemption. this is absolutely wrong. This was not done by even in the previous WFI set up," said Dutt.

The wrestlers defended themselves saying that they were away from wrestling for a few months due to the protest and that they only asked for some extra time from the ad-hoc committee. 

Also Read: IOC Ad-hoc Panel To Make Asian Games Selections Based On One-bout Trial For Protesting Wrestlers

Vinesh Phogat, in her statement on Saturday, also slammed Yogeshwar for questioning their credentials. Bajrang Punia, on the other hand, laid down several instances when Yogeshwar Dutt was exempted from the trials in 2013 and 2014 at the behest of Brij Bhushan Singh as WFI president. The wrestlers also said that now they have lost all respect for Yogeshwar as he is acting like Brij Bhushan's lackey. They accused him of misrepresenting the facts of their letter to the ad-hoc committee and said they don't even know whether he is educated or not or had even been to school in his life. 

With Inputs from PTI