“Fight Will Continue In Court”: Wrestlers Say Won’t Protest On Streets

New Delhi:

5 months after a few of India’s high ladies wrestlers accused their politically highly effective federation chief of sexual harassment and sparked a nationwide protest motion, they introduced on Sunday that they have been transferring their marketing campaign to the courtroom now.

Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia posted equivalent tweets saying that the federal government has fulfilled its promise of submitting a chargesheet in opposition to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a member of parliament of the ruling BJP.

“On this case, the wresters’ protest will proceed till we get justice, nevertheless it (combat) will likely be in courtroom and never on the highway,” the assertion on Twitter learn.

“Relating to the reform in WFI (Wrestling Federation of India), the election course of, as promised, has begun. We’ll watch for the fulfilment of guarantees made by the federal government concerning the July 11 elections,” they added.

A couple of minutes after posting the assertion, Ms Phogat and Ms Malik tweeted that they’re taking a break from social media.

The transfer got here after the police filed costs of sexual harassment, prison intimidation and stalking in opposition to Mr Singh earlier this month, following complaints by a number of feminine wrestlers and the delay triggering a world furore.

Mr Singh, who has been relieved of administrative duties, has rejected all allegations in opposition to him. If convicted, he faces as much as three years in jail. Considered one of his aides mentioned the lawmaker “will proceed to cooperate with police and can respect the courtroom’s determination”.

However on Saturday, in a stay deal with on social media following an argument about them being exempted from Asian Video games trials, the three wrestlers spearheading the protest had asserted that their combat in opposition to Mr Singh will proceed.

They mentioned they’re deliberating the best way to proceed the marketing campaign after evaluating the chargesheet filed in opposition to him.

Of their police grievance, seven wrestlers have accused 66-year-old Mr Singh of groping them on a number of events and demanding sexual favours.

The wrestlers, together with a number of Olympic and Asian Video games medallists, started a sit-in protest in opposition to Mr Singh in January after which returned with an illustration in April in opposition to the dearth of motion. They have been briefly detained by police in New Delhi as they cleared the positioning the next month.

Photographs of the athletes being dragged away and carried off in buses went viral, sparking criticism from high athletes and opposition politicians.

The wrestlers additionally threatened to throw their medals into the Ganges – India’s holiest river – earlier than agreeing to satisfy Dwelling Minister Amit Shah and later Sports activities Minister Anurag Thakur.

Amid mounting outrage, the wrestlers suspended their protest after Mr Thakur promised a June 15 deadline to conclude the probe into Mr Singh.

(With inputs from businesses)