Bajrang Punia says ‘govt told us not to talk but leaked information’ on meet with Amit Shah
- Punia stated that the protesting wrestlers have been asked by by the Indian government not to talk about their late-night meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah
Protesting wrestler Bajrang Punia in an interview has stated that he has been asked not to talk about the details of his meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the complaint and fight entailing allegations of sexual harrasment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
In an interview with NDTV, Punia stated that the protesting wrestlers have been asked not to talk about their late-night meeting on Saturday with Home Minister Amit Shah, by the Indian government.
This comes amid confusion by several media reports that the minor who had accused Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment had withdrawn her complaint. The father of the victim who sought Brij Bhushan's arrest under the POSCO Act, clarified that the girl had not retracted her complaint, but filed a fresh one with court relevant details against Brij Bhushan.
Protesting Wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi malik have resumed their OSD services in the Indian Railways.
Punia also told NDTV that there has been no ‘setting’ with the Union Home Minister regarding the complaint against the BJP MP Brij Bhushan. “The protest movement hasn't died down, it will continue. We have been strategising on how to take it forward”, Punia told NDTV.
There had been earlier reports of the protesting wrestlers ‘striking a deal’ with the government. On this Punia noted that while the government had asked them not to talk about the meeting to media, the rumour and information was ‘leaked from inside’.
Punia also said that the protesting wrestlers are not satisficed with government's response, neither is government conceding to their demands.
According to the media agency's report, the protesting wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Sangeeta Phogat, and Satyawart Kadian had met Amit Shah on Monday at 11pm in the night. According to the rpeort, the meeting went on for over an hour.
Amit Shah assured the wrestlers that the law remains the same for everyone, it's learnt. "Let the law take its own course," he reportedly told the wrestlers. “He (Shah) assured us that they were discussing it and will definitely take action,” Punia said but quickly added that they won't withdraw based on just assurances.
"We had gone back in January based on the government's assurances, but were later declared liars," he said.
"We have put everything at stake, and are ready to quit our government jobs if it becomes an obstacle in our agitation. It's not a big deal," he added.
"This is a fight for respect and dignity. We don't fear rumours, or losing the railways job. We'll quit the job if anyone pressures us," Punia further informed the news outlet.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has recorded statements of associates of outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and those working at his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda as part of investigations into sexual harassment allegations against him, officials said on Tuesday.
They also said the girl whose statement was the basis of a case being registered against Singh under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has recorded a fresh statement under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) section 164.
The officials said police are collecting evidence in connection with the case filed against the BJP MP, and will submit a report in court accordingly.
The country's top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, are protesting against the outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, whom they have accused of sexually harassing women.
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Business NewsNewsIndiaBajrang Punia says ‘govt told us not to talk but leaked information’ on meet with Amit Shah
First Published:6 Jun 2023, 07:10 PM IST
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