Wrestler Bajrang Punia Vows To Continue Protest Against WFI Chief

Renowned wrestler Bajrang Punia, one of the prominent figures leading the protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, reaffirmed that the demonstrators have no political affiliation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Punia asserted that the protests will continue until their demands are met.

Speaking to NDTV, Punia disclosed that the government had requested the wrestlers to keep their meeting with Amit Shah confidential, but they chose to leak the information to the media themselves. According to Punia, during the meeting, the Home Minister assured the wrestlers that an investigation was underway. However, the wrestler emphasized that the ongoing protest remains undeterred and will continue.

The wrestlers had a rendezvous with Amit Shah on Saturday, following their threat to submerge their hard-earned medals in the Ganga river in Haridwar. The meeting with the Home Minister extended late into the night, as the wrestlers emphasized the urgency of arresting Brij Bhushan Singh, who also serves as a Member of Parliament for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In the interview with NDTV, Punia expressed the wrestlers' dissatisfaction with the government's response, stating that their demands were not being acknowledged. He questioned why Singh had not been apprehended and accused the government of shielding him. Punia further asserted that the wrestlers would not back down until concrete action is taken.

Punia revealed that the Home Minister assured them that the government was actively discussing the matter and would undoubtedly take appropriate action. However, Punia recalled how the wrestlers had previously been deceived by the government's promises in January, which ultimately proved empty.

When asked about the implications of the wrestlers returning to their railway jobs, Punia clarified that they had merely taken a leave of absence to participate in the protests. They briefly reported to work for a single day to fulfill their administrative duties after being evicted from the Jantar Mantar protest site. Additionally, Punia stated that the wrestlers were prepared to resign from their government positions if their jobs hindered the progress of their agitation.