'Real harassment has begun now': Yogeshwar Dutt vs Vinesh Phogat verbal spat continues

The verbal spat between Vinesh Phogat and BJP politician and former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt continued as the 40-year-old went on a social media live after the top Indian wrestler called him Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's

The war of words on Twitter began after the London Olympic medallist questioned the exemption granted to the 6 wrestling protesting wrestlers from the Asian Games and World Championships trials.

Responding to Phogat's allegation that Yogeshwar had laughed off the sexual harassment complaints against the WFI chief during the oversight panel hearings where he allegedly told one of the women wrestlers that 'such things happen' Dutt challenged her to name the woman wrestler who he had approached and commented.

Dutt who was one of the six members of the oversight panel said, 'If I have stopped any girl, she can come forward, her parents can come forward. She is saying that I offered them help of any kind but actually, I can't get anyone selected in the team, nor can I get someone inducted in the national camp. I don't have that power'

Dutt went on to claim that it was Vinesh, who was involved in corruption as she got a member from husband's family Rs 25 lakh as prize money from the Haryana government when the money should have been given to her actual coach and her uncle Mahavir Phogat.

'Everyone knows that your coach is your uncle Mahabir Phogat but you declared that your coach is Om Prakash and the entire prize money of Rs 25-30 lakh you got from the Haryana government, you gave it to him. He is not your coach, why you gave him the money? Let me share. Because he is a maternal uncle (mama) of your husband. You left your own uncle'

In his live, he also responded to Vinesh's Wrestling Federation of India chief's lackey, Dutt said he was hardly in touch with anyone in the Federation and it was Vinesh who got several favours from the sports body.

'After 2016, I have hardly gone to the Federation office. I did not travel as a coach and I am not even the state body of Haryana and not part of WFI. I contested two elections, and Brij Bhushan did not campaign for me. If I were close, he would have come. When he contested the election, I did not campaign for him.' He revealed how Vinesh got her things done from WFI.

'Now I will share who actually had goodwill with the Federation. In 2017, you were selected for the 48kg Indoor Asian Games without trial. You wanted to play in 53kg, and it was accepted. Then you chose not to compete'

'The wrestler who was shifted to 48 from 53, did not get a medal because of a weight cut. Despite this, WFI did not penalise you. In 2018, you competed in the Asian Games without giving trials. You put WFI under pressure. They agreed because you were a good wrestler. You were a medal hopeful. So, who is closer to Federation, you are I?' he counter-questioned.

On being called 'Jaichand' (historically remembered for conspiring with Muhammad of Ghor to defeat Prithviraj Chauhan), Dutt shot back by saying, 'Entire country knows who is Jaichand and who is Bhagat Singh. No one needs your certificate. Entire Haryana state knows you, and all of you'

Dutt also revealed that Vinesh got a new placing in Railways and wondered how the government was agreeing to every demand of hers. 'In RSPB, you got a world cadet medallist and Dhyanchand awardee transferred and took his place. What kind of protest it was, that you are getting everything you want? Where is that fight which you had initiated?

He went on to remark, 'The real harassment has begun now. The junior wrestlers are being harassed'

He also replied to Vinesh's election remark, where she said 'you have fallen on your face twice in the elections' Dutt said if losing an election makes him bad, then Brij Bhushan has won six elections so he must be a good man.