Sakshi has sold her integrity to sell book: Babita Phogat after WFI protest allegations

In a reference to Sakshi Malik, Babita Phogat wrote on X, “Some got assembly, some got posts. Sister, you got nothing, we can understand your pain.” She said that one should “shine with her own character as the borrowed light cannot last for long”.

A day after Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, in an interview to a news channel, said that wrestler and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Babita Phogat had “instigated” wrestlers to protest against then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan in a bid to replace him, Ms. Babita on Wednesday said Ms. Malik has “sold her integrity” to sell her book.

Not naming anyone, but in a reference to the Olympic medal winner, Ms. Babita, a three-time Commonwealth Games medallist, wrote on X, “Some got assembly, some got posts. Sister, you got nothing, we can understand your pain.” She said that one should “shine with her own character as the borrowed light cannot last for long”.

Ms. Malik, whose memoir, Witness, was published recently, had in the interview said that two BJP leaders, Ms. Babita and Tirath Rana, had secured permission for them to hold protests.

Wrestler Geeta Phogat came out in defence of her younger sister and said that the position Ms. Babita has achieved in wrestling and politics was because of her “hard work and integrity” and “everyone knew who had the greed to be the WFI chief”.

Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli said one should “refrain from indulging in politics of allegations and counter-allegations”. He said that Ms. Babita had a “clean image” and was a “good party worker”, adding that he “did not believe that she could indulge in such politics”.

Ms. Malik had also said that some people had filled the mind of Vinesh Phogat, another face of the wrestlers’ protest, with “greed”. Reacting to the remarks, Ms. Vinesh, now the MLA from Haryana’s Julana, told a news agency on Tuesday that if raising one’s voice for women wrestlers and the desire to win medals for the country was greed, she considered it “good”.

“If this is greed, it will stay with me till my death,” she said, adding that Ms. Malik should make it clear what “greed” she was talking about.

Published - October 23, 2024 11:35 pm IST