'Shameful that athletes are on road for justice': Former J&K Guv Satya Pal Malik

Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said it was a matter of shame that athletes who are honoured in the country for their success at the international level are now fighting for justice on the streetsThe veteran politician who was the last Governor of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir said he spoke to Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia on Tuesday night and promised to visit them at the protest siteCountrys top wrestlers resumed their protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday demanding the arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who they have accused of sexual exploitation and intimidation of women athletesWhen our daughters win medals and unfurl the tricolour at that time very shamelessly we invite them for tea to honour them and to click pictures with them and today they are on road We should drown in shame Malik saidI appeal to all of you that you support them till their fight ends and this gathering should get bigger and bigger Malik said while addressing the gathering as wrestlers continued to get support from various quartersAlso Read Congress politicians join wrestlers in protestThe wheelchair bound Malik said it was unfortunate that women wrestlers are being asked to provide evidence of sexual exploitationIt is not just your fight it is a battle for dignity of our daughters Chaudhary Charan Singh used to say that if a woman is complaining of sexual exploitation she should not be questioned and no evidence should be demanded from her We must accept and trust what they are sayingIt should not have taken more than a minute for Delhi Police to file an FIR against the WFI chief You wrestlers will emerge victorious the entire country is with youThe 76yearold Malik said history will remember these athletes for striving for eradication of corruption in wrestlingI am glad that you are fighting despite being under pressure But now that the farmers are on your side your victory is assured he said referring to the support the wrestlers are getting from farmer organisations and khap panchayatsNumerous farmer organisations khap leaders politicians and womens organisations have visited the wrestlers at the protest site in the last three days lending their supportAlso Read Wrestlers protest take political colour farmer leaders also support athletesTraining at protest siteAs the protest entered its fourth day since resumption on Sunday the wrestlers under watchful eyes of coach Sujeet Mann began training at the protest site itselfBajrang Punia Vinesh Phogat Sangeeta Phogat Sakshi Malik and Satyawart Kadiyan all began training at 730am and the session went on till 845amAsked if its not risky to train on roads as it could lead to injuries to wrestlers coach Mann said We have no optionIts out of compulsion that we are forced to train on road What do we do Its a year of Asian Games and World Championships which is Olympic Qualifier the wrestlers cant be out of line Mann told PTIThere is no equipment gym or mat so whatever little we can do under the circumstances we are doing I asked them to run and we also did some mantoman technique practice We also have some dumbbells here he explainedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever