Wrestlers protest: Vinesh Phogat hits back at fellow Olympian Yogeshwar Dutt as situation turns ugly

The Wrestlers vs WFI chief episode doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. With new developments emerging every day, the situation seems to get uglier. This time two fellow wrestlers, Olympians, and colleagues at some point in time, are up against each other. Vinesh Phogat, one of the star wrestlers protesting against WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh over sexual harassment, tore into Yogeshwar Dutt, the London 2012 Olympics silver medalist, in a tweet over his latest remarks.

The Olympic medalist-turn BJP politician Yogeshwar Dutt lately went public, tweeting a video criticising the Indian Olympic Association’s ad-hoc committee for allowing six of the protesting wrestlers’ special one-bout trials in August to qualify for the Asian Games, while the rest of the wrestlers are competing in trials in late June.

In his tweet, Dutt pointed fingers at the committee’s controversial decision that to him is unfair to other wrestlers who are vying for a spot in the Asian Games 2023 and also urged the rest of the wrestling community to condemn it. Dutt also called it a ‘Black Day for Wrestling.’

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Meanwhile, Phogat, who was in the streets protesting against the WFI Chief, didn’t mince her words while tearing into Yogeshwar Dutt for his latest remarks.

Vinesh, in her reply to the tweet, slammed the former Olympian and even revealed it was Yogeshwar who intimidated female wrestlers into taking back their sexual harassment complaints against the WFI chief during the Oversight Committee investigation.

“When I heard the video of Yogeshwar Dutt, his ugly laugh stuck in my mind. He was a part of both the committees made for women wrestlers,” read excerpts of Vinesh Phogat’s tweet. “When female wrestlers were narrating their ordeals in front of the committee, he used to laugh out loud. When two female wrestlers came out to drink water, he came out and told them that nothing should happen to Brij Bhushan. Go and do your practice.”

“He told another female wrestler in a very lewd manner that such incidents happen, don’t make it such a big issue. Let me know if you need anything. After the committee meeting, Yogeshwar leaked the names of women wrestlers to Brij Bhushan and the media. He also called the houses of many women wrestlers and told them to make their girls understand. He was already publicly giving statements against women wrestlers, yet he was kept in both committees.”

‘Wrestling world will always remember you for licking Brij Bhushan’s boots’

“He constantly prevented wrestlers and coaches from joining the movement of women wrestlers. The whole wrestling world understood that Yogeshwar was in cahoots with Brij Bhushan,” Vinesh Phogat said.

“If anyone raises their voice against injustice in the society, then Yogeshwar definitely vomits. Earlier, he made derogatory comments about farmers, jawans, students, Muslims, and Sikhs, and now is engaged in defaming women wrestlers. Because of betraying society, you (Yogeshwar) have lost twice in the elections. And I challenge that you will never win an election in your life, because society is always careful of poisonous snakes.

“Wrestling world will always remember you for licking the boot of Brij Bhushan. Don’t use so much force to break women wrestlers, they have very strong intentions. You are very insensitive person. Standing in favour of the oppressor, you are flattering him.”