'Daughters have lost': Sakshee Malikkh on Brij Bhushan's son's candidature
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday announced that Karan Bhushan Singh will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj seat, in place of his father—former Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Soon after the announcement, many wrestlers—including Sakshee Malikkh—spoke out against the BJP's decision, which came amid the ongoing case against Brij Bhushan, who has been accused of sexual harassment by women wrestlers. "This has broken...spirits of crores of Indian daughters," Malikkh wrote on X.
All of us put our careers at stake, says Malikkh
To recall, Malikkh was among the many wrestlers who protested against Brij Bhushan for months in 2023—calling for his arrest over sexual harassment allegations made during his tenure as the WFI president. "[We] put our careers at stake...Brij Bhushan has still not been arrested...All we ever demanded was justice," Malikkh wrote. "Why is the government so weak in front of one man? All you want are votes in the name of Lord Ram, what about following his footsteps?" she added.
Malikkh quit wrestling last year
Malikkh quit wrestling last year after Sanjay Singh, an aide of Brij Bhushan, won the WFI elections. "If Brij Bhushan Singh's business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling," she said at a press conference. Bhushan, a six-time MP and member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP, denied any misconduct when the allegations surfaced, and even threatened to hang himself if they were proven true.
Next hearing is slated for May 7
In June 2023, Delhi Police filed a 1000-page chargesheet against Bhushan under sections 354, 354D, and 345A of the Indian Penal Code for stalking and sexual harassment. The case is currently being heard at Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court. Last month, the court refused his request for further investigation into the case. The next hearing is slated for May 7.
