In response to a petition filed by wrestlers criticizing the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Supreme Court gave a notice on April 25, 2023, and asked the Delhi police to respond to it.
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In response to a petition filed by wrestlers criticizing the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Supreme Court gave a notice on April 25, 2023, and asked the Delhi police to respond to it. The court was informed by senior attorney Kapil Sibal that video recordings exist to support claims of sexual assault. Seven female wrestlers are among the victims. At the time of the harassment, one of them was 16 years old and had won the gold medal. He continued by saying that under strict laws, police personnel might also be prosecuted for neglecting to file the case.
Many people have voiced their support for the wrestlers who are protesting. The All India Mahila Congress, whose president Netta D’Souza consoled a sobbing Sakshi Malik at the protest site, has also joined the wrestlers in their protest. The representatives from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) attended Jantar Mantar to interact with the athletes after bronze medalist for the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Bajrang Punia, urged for “all parties” to join the movement.
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The SAI representatives were seen talking with the wrestlers about the circumstance. Some, though, have been told they cannot participate in the protest. According to reports, the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) has forbidden all of its athletes and instructors from taking part in the wrestlers’ protest against the WFI. The Tribune reports that SSCB advised its players to stay away from the Jantar Mantar dharna. According to reports, the message was delivered to the players on Sunday via a WhatsApp group.
On the second day of the protest, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports deemed the intended elections for the Wrestling Federation of India on May 7 to be “null and void.” This change is thought to be an attempt to calm the agitated wrestlers, who have renewed their sit-in protest after a three-month period. Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat, Satyawart Kadian, Somveer Rathi, and Jitender Kinha are among the wrestlers who are in attendance at the protest location. After submitting a complaint at the Connaught Place police station on Friday, saying that Brij Bhushan, the president of the WFI, had harassed and taken advantage of seven female wrestlers, including one minor, the protesters have been stepping up their efforts.
The wrestlers initially staged a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in January but concluded it after the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the establishment of an oversight committee to investigate the allegations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, coaches and officials of the WFI. But, the wrestlers restarted their protest as the Oversight Committee hadn’t revealed its findings publicly and their demands weren’t met. Owing to the wrestlers’ protest, the ministry asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to create a transitory or ad-hoc committee to manage the WFI’s daily operations and conduct elections for its new executive committee within 45 days of forming the interim body.
Read More-MYAS declares the WFI elections as ‘void’ after analyzing OC’s findings