‘Kis hadd tak giroge’: Yogeshwar Dutt slams Bajrang Punia as face-off escalates
Bajrang Punia said they will quit wrestling if it is proved that they had asked for just one-bout trial for the Asian Games.
The face-off between the protesting wrestlers and London Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt over receiving an exemption from Asian Games trials escalated further on Saturday as Bajrang Punia said they will quit wrestling if it is proved that they had asked for just one-bout trial for the championship.
Bajrang also alleged that Dutt had participated in the 2015 World Championships despite being not fit and it amounted to betrayal. "In 2015, you (Dutt) betrayed the nation. I have proof of that. You had gone for an ACL surgery just one month before the World Championships. The second person was Amit Dhankar. He could have qualified but due to your injury you neither played the tournament nor did you provide your weight (category)," he said.
It is to be noted that Dutt was forced to pull out of the 2015 Wrestling World Championships in the USA after being found unfit at the eleventh hour, leaving the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) red-faced.
Hitting back, Dutt posted an old picture of him with Punia with a caption in Hindi: “Kis had tak giroge (To what extent will you stoop)."
“If I had stopped speaking in 2018, then in 2019, considering this Guru ji, how can I post thanks to God @BajrangPunia,” Dutt added.
On Friday, Dutt had questioned the ad-hoc panel's decision and asked if these wrestlers were agitating against the outgoing Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan to get such favours.
He had also exhorted the junior wrestlers, their coaches and parents to raise voice against this injustice.
Dutt had also levelled some other allegations and the trio of Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat addressed their followers on social media, responding to the comments made by the former wrestler and now a BJP leader.
"We did not ask for an exemption from trials, just asked for time to prepare," said Sakshi Malik.
"We didn't take away anybody's rights. We had just asked for time as we have been away from wrestling for six months, but you are spreading wrong information," Malik, the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist, said.
However none of the three wrestlers said if they are willing to compete in a full draw and will not accept direct entry into the final.
Sakshi asked Dutt to refrain from spreading a wrong message that the six wrestlers "just wanted to win and participate in one trial."
(With inputs from agencies)
