'Sakshi did not win the Olympic medal for PM' - Kirti Azad comes in support of Indian wrestlers amid their fight against WFI President

On Friday, Indian cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and the 1983 World Cup-winning team came out in support of the top Indian wrestlers and urged them not to take any hasty decisions while hoping that players' issues would be heard and resolved. The wrestlers have been protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual exploitation and harassment.

The former India cricketers said they were distressed after seeing the visuals of wrestlers being manhandled but also hoped that the law will help them. The statement came on a day when members of over 170 khaps (clan-based bodies) gave the government a week’s ultimatum to take action against Singh.

Former Indian all-rounder Kirti Azad, one of the members of the Kapil Dev-led World Cup winning side, came out in support of the wrestlers and was surprised after seeing people calling it a 'Political Protest'.  

"We didn’t win the World Cup for Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister in 1983. I find it very strange when people say that it (protest) is political. When Sakshi Malik, the first women grappler, won bronze in Rio 2016, she wasn’t doing it for Narendra Modi and BJP. She did it for the nation,” Azad told The Indian Express.

Mr. Modi never hesitated to take selfies with the medal: Azad

Azad raised concerns over the Indian Prime Minister and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar not taking any serious action against the pertaining issue. He also said that they have never hesitated while taking selfies with Sakshi Malik following her bronze medal win at the Rio Olympics. 

"Mr. Modi never hesitated to take selfies with the medal and the medallist. Mr Khattar made Sakshi the brand ambassador of beti bachao and beti padhao in Haryana. And now they are silent, not even a tweet about the entire issue. They were happily taking photographs, and today to save their own, they are silent,” Azad added.

Azad, who participated in 142 first-class games, including seven Test matches, has criticised the government for failing to imprison Brij Bhushan Singh, who already has least 15 reports of sexual harassment filed against him. Moreover, among other former Indian cricketers, Anil Kumble, Robin Uthappa and Irfan Pathan have shown solidarity with the elite wrestlers.