After Kapil Dev, Neeraj Chopra expresses solidarity with wrestlers protesting against BJP MP Brij Bhushan

Olympic gold medalist in Javelin throw, Neeraj Chopra has expressed solidarity with the wrestlers who have been protesting since Sunday, seeking an FIR against Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation. As many as seven wrestlers along with a minor, have filed police complaints against the MP.

Neeraj put up a post on his twitter account saying,“ As a nation, we are responsible for safeguarding the integrity and dignity of every individual, athlete or not. What’s happening should never happen. This is a sensitive issue, and must be dealt with in an impartial and transparent manner. Pertaining authorities must take quick action in order to ensure that justice is served”.

Earlier, World Championship medalist Vinesh Phogat, who is leading the ongoing wrestlers protest, pointed at star cricketers and other sports persons saying that why are they still silent. She said she was pained to see they don’t have the courage to speak for other sports persons due to the people in power. 

Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev posted a story on Instagram with a picture of wrestlers with a captain,“Will they ever get justice?”. Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra also posted a tweet saying, “As athletes, we train hard every day to represent our country on the international stage. It is deeply concerning to see our athletes finding it necessary to protest on the streets regarding the allegations of harassment in the Indian wrestling administration. My heart goes out to all those who have been affected. We must ensure that this issue is handled properly, with the athletes’ concerns heard and addressed fairly and independently.”