The face-off between some of India’s top wrestlers and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh continues as the protest at Jantar Mantar entered the 11th day, with both sides refusing to budge. The protesting wrestlers are set to join a march on Wednesday, organised by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) from the University of Delhi against Brij Bhushan.
As wrestlers’ representative, Olympian Bajrang Punia will join the SFI march at Delhi University, sources said.
Representatives of 360 villages in Delhi, including MLAs and councillors of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will also visit Jantar Mantar today to express solidarity with the wrestlers staging a protest, demanding the arrest of the wrestling federation chief over sexual harassment charges.
“On Wednesday, representatives of 360 villages, including councillors and MLAs, will visit Jantar Mantar at 11 am to support the protesting wrestlers. A strategy for the movement will also be chalked out. The voices of these players will reach every village,” AAP’s Delhi unit convenor Gopal Rai said.
Anurag Thakur Responds To Vinesh Phogat’s Allegations
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday responded to ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s allegations of him not taking any action against WFI chief Brij Bhushan and trying to suppress the matter by forming a committee.
Thakur said allegations of sexual assault can not be proven through media trials and a proper channel of administrative investigation is required for it.
“FIR has been registered…police investigation will be done. How can anything be done before the investigation?… Anything can’t be decided by media trial…Actions will be taken according to law, against anyone who will be found guilty…Let the police investigate the sexual harassment charges…We should not jump the gun, let the enquiry be over,” said Thakur.
Addressing the media, Phogat slammed Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur for not taking any action and suppressing the matter by forming a committee.
“We ended our protest after talking to Union Sports Minister (Anurag Thakur), and all the athletes had told him about the sexual harassment. By forming a committee, he tried to suppress the matter there; no action was taken that time,” she said.
SC Allows Wrestlers’ Counsel To Submit Sealed Cover Inputs On WFI Chief
The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed wrestlers counsel, senior advocate Narender Hooda to submit a sealed cover with additional material with regards to sexual harassment allegations against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud asked counsel to share the sealed cover with Delhi police as well.
Hooda has alleged that Delhi police is doing absolutely nothing in investigating the charges.
PT Usha Meets Protesting Wrestlers
Days after criticising the protesting wrestlers, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief PT Usha on Wednesday met them at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Wrestler Bajrang Punia after meeting with PT Usha in Delhi said the IOA chief has assured the wrestlers that she is standing with them and will get us justice.
“She said that she is an athlete first and then anything else. She said that she will look into our issue and resolve it as early as possible. We will remain here till Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh goes to jail,” Punia said.
Usha had earlier criticised the protesters and said the protest amounts to indiscipline and criticised the wrestlers for not waiting for the report of a committee looking into their allegations.
“The players should not have protested on the streets. They should have at least waited for the report of the committee. What they have done is not good for the game and the country. It is a negative approach,” Usha had said.
Wrestlers Vs WFI
The wrestlers have been staging a sit-in since April 23 over allegations of sexual harassment against BJP MP, who has completed 12 years as WFI President and is ineligible to become an office bearer.
The protesters have been demanding criminal action against Singh for the alleged sexual harassment and intimidation of seven female wrestlers, including a minor.
The protesting wrestlers had moved the Supreme Court seeking the registration of FIRs against the WFI chief, following which the Delhi Police have filed two FIRs, including one under the POCSO Act, against the BJP MP.
Booked for alleged sexual exploitation, Singh has vowed to fight the charges and alleged that the opposition parties were “tutoring” the players. He claimed that the protesting wrestlers want to take over the WFI and that only one family– the Phogats– are behind the protest.
The claim was, however, countered by wrestler Bajrang Punia, who asserted that protesters don’t want to control WFI.
“To be in WFI, you have to be a member of a state association. We don’t want control of WFI…His (Brij Bhushan) son is the president of the UP Association, and his son’s brother-in-law is the secretary. His son-in-law is also a member of a state association. He is accusing us of nepotism while it is happening in his case,” Punia claimed.
Following this, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh also targeted Punia and claimed the ‘conspiracy’ against him was hatched by Congress leader Deepender Hooda and Punia.
“We have an audio to prove this that will be handed over to the Delhi Police when the time comes,” he claimed.
Mahavir Phogat Says Amir Khan’s Support Will Be Welcomed
Former wrestler Mahavir Phogat, who is also the father of CWC medalists Geeta and Babita Phogat, has extended his support to the protesting wrestlers and demanded action against the WFI chief.
Phogat, who became a household name after the release of the Bollywood blockbuster ‘Dangal’, said he doesn’t expect much from the actors but would appreciate it if actor Amir Khan, who essayed his character in the movie, extends his support to wrestlers.
“I don’t have expectations from any stars but if he (Aamir Khan) tweets in support, we would like it,” Mahavir was quoted as saying according to a report by India Today.
He further said that his daughter Babita (Phogat), who was included in the panel to investigate the allegations levelled by wrestlers, is also part of this fight.
In 2019, Babita Phogat and her father Mahavir Phogat joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Babita also contested and lost in the last Haryana Assembly elections from BJP’s ticket.
“This is a do-or-die situation. We will sit on dharna till we get justice. We are united in this fight,” he said as per India Today report.
Wrestlers Miss Another International Event
Meanwhile, wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Makil, who are leading wrestlers’ protest against the WFI chief, have decided to sit out of another international tournament after they refused to compete at the Ranking Series wrestling event in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from June 1 to 4.
This is the third instance when the trio are not participating in the United World Wrestling (UWW)-organised ranking series.
Non-protesting Wrestlers Demand Resumption of National Camp
The national camp shut and the controversy surrounding WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh still raging, several non-protesting wrestlers on Tuesday demanded that the SAI must reopen its centres for grapplers since the lack of proper training is having an adverse impact on their preparations for the Asian Games.
The men’s national camp for freestyle and greco roman wrestlers is held at Sports Authority of India’s centre in Bahalgarh (Sonepat) while the women’s camp is organised in Lucknow.
The country’s premier wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, have levelled sexual harassment allegations against the Wrestling Federation of India chief and resumed their protest at Jantar Mantar on April 23.
The national camp was closed on April 8, a day before the Asian Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, and has not yet restarted.
More than 300 wrestlers in 10 weight categories — senior, junior, cadet and U15 — train at SAI centre in Sonepat while the Lucknow centre accommodates more than 100 women wrestlers.
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