Responding to Sakshi Malik's claim that the minor wrestler changed her statement out of fear of intimidation, the father of the wrestler who had accused Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment insisted that his family had not received any threats. The minor's father's reaction has come after wrestler Sakshi Malik and her husband Satyavart Kadian released a video statement.
The father of the amateur wrestler told India Today that his family had not received any threats, as a result of which his daughter had been compelled to retract her statement. He urged Malik to explain the reasoning behind her claim. Earlier, the minor wrestler withdrew her statement against Brij Bhushan Singh and allegedly did so due to threats against her family.
"We have done what we needed to do. There is no truth to such claims of threats against our family," the minor wrestler's father said.
Sakshi Malik and Satyavart Kadian clarify that their fight is not against the government:
In the 11-minute video named 'The Truth' released by Malik and Kadian, Kadian stated that their motive is to get Brij Bhushan arrested on the account of sexual allegations against him. The experienced athlete said:
"Many individuals within the wrestling community wanted to raise their voices against the problems but lacked unity and feared negative consequences for their careers. Our fight is not against the government but specifically against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of multiple sexual misconduct incidents with seven wrestlers."
Prominent Indian wrestlers like Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia have demanded the arrest of WFI Chief on grounds of sexual harassment. They claim that he has harassed seven wrestlers, one of which is a kid, with sexual advances. The wrestlers had earlier put a stop to their protest after the government gave them guarantees that it would take action against the WFI chief.
