Misbehavior With Wrestlers Disturbing, Hope For An Early Solution: 1983 World Cup-Winning Team

New Delhi: Players of the 1983 world champion cricket team have said they were "distressed and disturbed" after seeing pictures of the beating of protesting wrestlers and hoped for an early resolution of their problems. 

It is noteworthy that on May 28, the protesting wrestlers had planned to march towards the newly constructed Parliament House and organize Mahila Mahapanchayat there. The Delhi Police allegedly manhandled those wrestlers and took them into custody.

The police also cleared the dharna site at Jantar Mantar and made it clear that Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers would not be allowed to return.

The wrestlers on Tuesday took their protest to Haridwar where they tried to immerse their medals in the river Ganges. Farmer leader Naresh Tikait had stopped the wrestlers and asked them for five days time. In a joint statement, the veteran cricketers also appealed to the wrestlers not to immerse their medals.

The team said in the statement, “We are distressed and disturbed by the indecent scenes of misbehavior with our champion wrestlers. We are also most concerned about the fact that they are thinking of throwing their hard-earned medals into the river Ganga."

Medals embody years of effort, sacrifice, determination 

"Those medals embody years of effort, sacrifice, determination and grit and are the pride and joy of not only the players but the country," the statement said. We urge them not to take any hasty decision in this matter and also hope that their grievances will be heard and resolved at the earliest."

Madan Lal of the World Cup-winning team said it was heart-wrenching to see the wrestlers deciding to throw away their medals. He said, "It is heartbreaking that they decided to throw away their medals. We are not in favor of their throwing away medals as medals are not easy to earn. We urge the government to resolve this issue at the earliest." "

The Delhi Police has registered two FIRs against Brij Bhushan, one of which is related to POCSO Bhushan, Bharatiya Janata Party's MP from Kaiserganj, however, has not been arrested yet.