Jantar Mantar Dharna withdrawn after the sports minister assures of justice to the ace wrestlers. WFI terms their protest a hidden agenda !

While the ace wrestlers of national and international stature having brought laurels for the country in Olympics and world Championships sitting on Dharna at Jantar Mantar against WFI chief n MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh since the three days have withdrawn their sitting protests after the assurance of the Union sports minister Anurag Thakur that due justice would be meted out to them urging WFI president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh MP to set aside for some days till the probe gives its final report, the Olympics Bronze winner Bajrang Punia has expressed his satisfaction over the formation of a high level committee with some ace wrestlers also in it – believing in the assurance of the minister to give them justice in the near future.

Kindly recall that the medallist of World Wrestling Championships Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Bronze Olympic winner, Shaksi Mallik medallist of Rio Olympics and Ravi Dahiya etc have levelled allegations of sexual harassment and mental torture against the MP and WFI chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh who’s heading Wrestling Federation of India for the last three terms.

They are demanding resignation of the WFI chief and stringent punitive action for sexually assaulting and mentally torturing the women wrestlers making the wrestling body his personal fiefdom.

In its reply to the government, the Wrestling Federation of India said that the wrestlers who’d accused the WFI chief of sexual harassment had their personal hidden agenda adding that the protest is not in the best interest of the wrestlers nor for promoting good wrestling in India.

Terming the action as personal hidden agenda to dislodge the current fairest and strict management of WFI, the letter adds that it is also a conspiracy to create an adverse atmosphere in public in order to create undue pressure on WFI.

The response regarding WFI’s clarification was sent after the instructions of the Union sports minister Anurag Thakur who had catagorically said that if the explanation wasn’t acknowledged from the WFI chief by Saturday, he would be sacked n subsequent action initiated on the charges of the ace wrestlers. For the time, Anurag Thakur has asked the WFI chief to keep himself aside from the responsibility till the newly constituted committee of the sports ministry submits its report.

Yesterday the international wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia while levelling their allegations against WFI chief said that they have enough evidence to prove their charges hence the WFI chief n MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh should be removed from the post immediately and legal action initiated simultaneously. Meanwhile, Babita Phogat, a 2014 Commonwealth Gold medalist winner wrestler who is active in BJP has joined the Dharna at Jantar Mantar anc expressed her solidarity with the wrestlers cause saying that she us first a wrestler and then BJP politician assuring the protesting wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat that she will stand by them irrespective of any political consequences as primarily I am a wrestler than anything else.

Two videos are doing rounds in social media with Facebook posts and tweets showing videos of the WFI chief literally slapping a sportsman, young boy on the stage and excepting on camera while giving interview to a journalist having been involved in a murder. Speaking to a reporter answering the allegations of the wrestlers Brijbhushan Sharon Singh not only refuses all charges but days that if a single accusation/ allegation is proved against me I may be hanged. He refuses to seek apology as according to him all the charges are biased, untrue and fabricated.