Grapplers Sakshi Malik and Babita Phogat indulged in a barb trade over the permission for protest at Jantar Mantar against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh demanding a probe into allegations of sexual harassment against him. Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik, leading the protest, accused Phogat of trying to use the wrestlers for selfish motives and weaken their protest. On the other hand, Phogat called Malik a “Congress puppet.”
In a video posted on Saturday, Malik and her husband Satyawart Kadian alleged that it was Babita and another BJP leader Teerath Rana who had initially taken permission for the grapplers to protest at Jantar Mantar but later started advising them that the platform should not be used by parties for political purposes.
They also furnished a letter, which allegedly showed Babita and Rana had taken permission from the Jantar Mantar police station for the wrestlers to stage a sit-in.
Babita Phogat Calls Sakshi Malik ‘Congress Puppet’
Reacting to Malik’s video, Olympic wrestler and BJP leader Babita Phogat refuted the claims and called her a “Congress puppet”.
"Yesterday I felt very sad and laughed too when I was watching the video of my little sister (Sakshi Malik) and her husband, first of all I want to make it clear that the permission paper which was shown by her, I have nothing to do with it and neither it has my signature," Babita Phogat wrote in her tweet.
Alleging Congress of using the emotions of protesting wrestlers for political benefits, Phogat called Malik a “Congress puppet.”
Sharing Phogat's response, Malik attacked the BJP leader saying Phogat was using wrestlers’ protest for selfish reasons.