Vinesh Phogat Lashes Out At Sister Babita Phogat; Requests Her Not To Weaken Movement

New Delhi: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat slammed her cousin sister Babita Phogat asking her to ‘not weaken their movement.’

“If you cannot stand for the rights of the aggrieved female wrestlers, then Babita sister, I request you with folded hands not to weaken our movement. It’s taken years for female wrestlers to speak up against their abusers. You are also a woman, try to understand our pain,” Vinesh tweeted.

अगर पीड़ित महिला पहलवालों के हक़ में नहीं खड़ी हो सकती तो बबीता बहन आपसे हाथ जोड़कर विनती है कि हमारे आंदोलन को कमज़ोर तो मत करो

सालों लगे हैं महिला पहलवानों को अपने उत्पीड़क के ख़िलाफ़ आवाज़ उठाने में

आप भी महिला हैं और हमारा दर्द समझने की कोशिश करो । 🙏🙏 https://t.co/cfk9W1yTvj

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) April 29, 2023

 

Prior to this, Babita had tweeted about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s visit to Jantar Mantar to speak with the wrestlers who were protesting. Babita said on her social media site, “Priyanka Vadra has travelled to Jantar Mantar with her personal secretary Sandeep Singh to demand justice for female wrestlers, while this person himself has been accused of groping women and insulting a Dalit woman.

प्रियंका वड्रा अपने निजी सचिव संदीप सिंह को ले कर जंतर मंतर महिला पहलवानों को न्याय दिलाने पहुँची हैं लेकिन इस व्यक्ति पर ख़ुद महिलाओं से छेड़छाड़ और एक दलित महिला को दो कौड़ी की औरत कहने जैसे तमाम आरोप लगे हैं। pic.twitter.com/QTY4Z1nyb6

— Babita Phogat (@BabitaPhogat) April 29, 2023

However, Babita’s elder sister Geeta voiced her support for the wrestlers, tweeting, “I request all the countrymen to support their sisters and daughters who are fighting for justice by becoming their voice. This is a very sensitive matter, and some people are trying to misrepresent the movement by equating it with caste, religion or politics which is extremely regrettable. #IStandWithMyChampions.”

मेरा सभी देशवासियों से निवेदन है की आपकी जो बहन बेटियाँ न्याय के लिये लड़ रही हैं उसके लिये उनकी आवाज़ बन कर उनका साथ दें यह एक बहुत संवेदनशील मामला है कुछ लोग इसको जाति-धर्म या राजनीति से जोड़कर आंदोलन को भटकाने का काम कर रहे हैं जो बहुत दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है #IStandWithMyChampions

— geeta phogat (@geeta_phogat) April 29, 2023

The wrestlers have been protesting and calling for Brij Bhushan to be fired from his position as president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and to face criminal charges since Sunday.