Yogeshwar Hits Back at Vinesh for 'Brij Bhushan's Lackey' Jab, Says 'Don't Need Your Certificate'

Yogeshwar Dutt on Friday shot back at Vinesh Phogat for saying that the wrestling world will remember Yogeshwar Dutt for being a spineless lackey of outgoing WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, after he had questioned the exemption granted to her and five others from the Asian Games and World Championships trials.

Phogat also alleged that Yogeshwar had laughed off the sexual harassment complaints against the WFI chief during the oversight panel hearings where he allegedly told one of the women wrestlers that “such things happen”.

Dutt was one of the six members of the oversight panel formed by the government to probe the sexual harassment allegations against Singh. The government had not made public all the findings of the probe.

London Olympic medallist Dutt posted a twitter video on Friday, questioning the logic and criteria behind such an exemption. A little over two hours after Dutt’s tweet, Vinesh came out with a long statement.

Responding to the allegations by Vinesh, Dutt said he did not need a certificate from her and challenged her to name the woman wrestler who he had approached and commented.

He also claimed that it was Vinesh, who was involved in corruption as she got a member from her husband’s family Rs 25 lakh as prize money from Haryana government when the money should have been given to her actual coach and her uncle Mahavir Phogat.

Dutt also claimed that several coaches involved in the protest had actually offered him to lead the protest and become WFI President.

It was first reported by PTI on Thursday that six protesting wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and his wife Sangeeta Phogat, will have to win just one bout against the winner of stage-one trials to be on the Indian team for the Asian Games and World Championships.

“The whole wrestling world understood that Yogeshwar was eating leftover from Brij Bhushan’s plate. If anyone raises voice against injustice in the society, then Yogeshwar definitely vomits,” Vinesh wrote on her official twitter page.

“He also called the family members of many women wrestlers and told them to keep their daughters under control. He was already publicly giving statements against women wrestlers, yet he was kept in both the committees.

“He constantly prevented wrestlers and coaches from joining the protest. The whole wrestling world understood that Yogeshwar was eating out of Brij Bhushan’s plate,” she wrote.

The fiery Vinesh, double Asian Games and triple CWG gold medallist didn’t stop short of calling Yogeshwar, a Brij Bhushan lackey and someone who has betrayed his own fraternity.

“Wrestling world will always remember you for licking the feet of Brij Bhushan,” she wrote.

“As long as a Jaichand like Yogeshwar remains in wrestling, surely the spirits of the oppressors will remain high,” she said in a reference to Kanauj King Jaichand, who is historically remembered for conspiring with Muhammad of Ghor to defeat Prithviraj Chauhan.

(With inputs from Agencies)