Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik on Sunday accused BJP leader and former Commonwealth Games gold medalist grappler Babita Phogat of trying to use the wrestlers for selfish motives and weaken their protest. On the contrary Babita Phogat claimed Sakhshi and her husband Satyawart Kadian had turned puppets of Congress Party. 

Sakshi and her husband Satyawart Kadian had also posted a video on Saturday alleging that it was Babita and another BJP leader Teerath Rana who had initially taken permission for the grapplers to protest at Jantar Mantar but later started advising them that the platform should not be used by parties for political purposes.

Rana, however, said that none among he or Babita tried to initially instigate the protest and then weaken it, saying the wrestlers are the pride of the nation and the respect of the sportspersons is uppermost on the mind of the BJP.

"Look, wrestlers are the pride of the nation and the respect of sportspersons is uppermost on the mind of the BJP, and I also respect them a lot. I have always supported sportspersons," said Rana in a video.

The country’s top wrestlers including Sakshi, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia have accused outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and demanded his arrest.

Satyawart and Sakshi also furnished a letter, which allegedly showed Babita and Rana had taken permission from the Jantar Mantar police station for the wrestlers to stage a sit-in.

Sakshi, in a tweet on Sunday, wrote, "In the video (posted on Saturday), we had taunted Teerath Rana and Babita Phogat that how they were trying to use wrestlers for their selfishness and how when the wrestlers were in trouble, they went and sat on the lap of the government.

"We are definitely in trouble, but our sense of humor should not become so weak that we cannot even laugh at the jokes of the powerful," she added.

Rana, however, denied allegations that he had used the wrestlers for selfish motives.The wrestlers came and met me (before staging the protest) and they told us that they were being exploited. We said we are with our sisters and daughters. I am with the athletes in the fight for justice. I was there with them before and am now as well," added Rana.