Bajrang Punia retaliates, ‘Yogeshwar Dutt asked for exemption from trials before…’ | Wrestlers’ Protest

The sparring between protesting wrestlers and BJP politician Yogeshwar Dutt took a new turn on Saturday when Bajrang Punia along with Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat made some serious revelations concerning Dutt.

In a Facebook livestream, Bajrang Punia alleged, 'Before the 2010 Asian Games, Yogeshwar Dutt was injured so another wrestler was asked to join the contingent and he submitted his passport.'

But Dutt insisted on playing, continued Punia, he persisted that he will play and then just 10 days before, he pulled out of the tournament.

'He withdrew his name when nothing could be done. He cheated the country by doing so,' the Olympic medallist said.

The 29-year-old then went on to narrate another ordeal of Dutt's dating back to 2014.

'In 2014 before the Commonwealth Games, two wrestlers, Dutt and another whom I won't name would go to the Federation office everyday and ask to be exempted from trials,' Bajrang Punia claimed in the video.

'I want to ask him (Dutt) what did he do since the 2012 Olympic win to ask for such kind of favours?' the 2020 Tokyo Olympic winner asked.

Gesturing towards Sakshi, Vinesh and himself, he said, 'There are three medal-winning wrestlers sitting here, I just want to inform everyone, that we have never entered any tournament without giving trials for our selection.'

Facing opposition from fellow wrestlers for receiving exemption from Asian Games trials, the protesting wrestlers on Saturday denied demanding such a favour from IOA and said they will quit wrestling if it is proved.

London Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt on Friday questioned if these grapplers were agitating to get such favours and exhorted the junior wrestlers, their coaches and parents to raise voice against this injustice.

'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,' Bajrang said.

'We are ready to quit wrestling if it is proved that we asked for exemption. We never wrote any letter for exemption,' Punia added.

The wrestlers also vowed to continue their fight.

'We will continue our fight till Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is punished,' Vinesh said.

with PTI inputs