Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi was seen breaking into a run when a reporter sought her comments on the wrestlers’ protest on Tuesday, May 31. A video clip of the incident has gone viral in social media, in which a woman reporter is heard asking in Hindi, “Wrestlers are going to immerse their medals, what would you like to say about it?” Lekhi, who was walking till then, picked up the pace of her walk until she broke into a sprint, as her staff members and others around her also began to run along with her. The reporter too, ran after her, repeating her question, to which Lekhi finally responded saying the legal process was underway. The reporter then questioned her about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue and asked if Lekhi would like to say anything, being a woman MP. However, the MP continued to evade questions on the issue.
The reporter was referring to the ongoing protests by Indian wrestlers demanding the arrest of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan who is accused of sexual harassment by several female wrestlers. On May 30, the wrestlers reached Haridwar with the intention of immersing their medals won in various international sports events in the Ganga river. However, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait, known for his role in leading the 2020-21 farmers’ protests, requested the wrestlers not to do so, and proposed that the government be given five days’ time to meet their demands. Their demands include the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan and a thorough investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment against him.
Lekhi was asked the question before the wrestlers reached Haridwar. However, as soon as she was asked the question, the Minister started speeding up the pace of her walk and ended up running, with the reporter chasing her. Lekhi finally responded saying that the legal process was underway.
Union Minister for External Affairs & Culture @M_Lekhi has time to innagurate and dedicate Water coolers and Toilets but when asked to answer about #WrestlersProtest pic.twitter.com/BNfhlfWxyd https://t.co/NZLlzJt38y
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 30, 2023
अगर सवालों से भागने का कोई ओलंपिक होता तो सबसे अधिक मेडल भारत में ही आते भाजपा के सौजन्य से।
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) May 30, 2023
pic.twitter.com/wHc5m3s1Op
Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi makes a run for it as reporters repeatedly ask her about the protest by the wrestlers. On another note, she runs fast https://t.co/w7aruLHtE6
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) May 30, 2023
The wrestlers’ protest, which has been going on for over a month, took a drastic turn on Sunday when the protesters were manhandled and forcefully stopped by the Delhi police from marching towards the new Parliament building in Delhi as it was being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The wrestlers tents and other things at the site of their month-long protest at Jantar Mantar were also forcefully removed by the police, while Brij Bhushan was at the Parliament participating in the inauguration event.