The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Social gathering threw their weight behind the wrestlers who’ve been protesting towards the appointment of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s confidant Sanjay Singh because the president of the Wrestling Federation of India.
Olympic medallists Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and different wrestlers had launched an agitation towards Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexually harassing girls grapplers. The matter is in courtroom.
Sanjay Singh, a loyalist of BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was elected WFI president on Thursday, which triggered outrage amongst wrestlers and prompted Malikkh to announce her retirement from the game.
Punia returned his Padma Shri to the federal government in protest towards Singh’s election. He posted a letter on X after attempting to satisfy Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament however was stopped at Kartavya Path by the Delhi Police.
UP Wrestling Affiliation vice-president Sanjay Singh received 40 votes as towards seven of his rival and 2010 Commonwealth Video games gold medallist Anita Sheoran. Prem Chand Lochab was elected secretary normal. The wrestlers had demanded that no shut affiliate of Brij Bhushan ought to enter the WFI.
On Friday, Malikkh and Bajrang Punia met Congress chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who assured them of assist in each means of their battle for justice.
Gandhi mentioned girls wrestlers who’ve introduced glory to the nation from the world over had accused a BJP parliamentarian of sexual exploitation, however the saffron social gathering’s authorities didn’t take any motion towards him. The BJP continues to be standing with the accused and is rewarding him in each means, Priyanka Gandhi mentioned
Congress chief Deepender Hooda accompanied the wrestlers after they went to satisfy Gandhi. He earlier met Malikkh and Punia at his residence, the place former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was additionally current.
“India’s solely Olympic medal-winning feminine wrestler, Sakshi Malik, retired from wrestling because of the grave injustice performed to her and the Centre not honouring its guarantees. This isn’t signal so far as respect for the ladies of the nation and the world of sports activities are involved,” Deepinder Hooda mentioned in a put up on X.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, too, on Friday alleged that the returning of medals by wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia uncovered the BJP’s insensitivity in the direction of girls and their security.
The AAP, too, hit out on the BJP-led Centre over the remedy meted out to the wrestlers. Addressing a press convention, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak mentioned that he was very unhappy after watching the media briefing of the wrestlers on Thursday.
“On Thursday, the entire nation noticed that our wrestlers, who introduced glory to our nation, had tears of their eyes and ache of their chests whereas chatting with the media. A few of them have additionally mentioned that they’ll stop wrestling,” he mentioned.
“After they win medals, the whole BJP places their hoardings and tries to point out that it was due to the efforts of the Centre that they received medals however after they had been struggling, nobody stands with them,” he alleged.
Hassle brews in new WFI
Hardly 24 hours have handed because the formation of the brand new wrestling federation and hassle has began brewing inside the sports activities physique with Secretary Common Lochab demanding postponement of the junior Nationals, saying the president didn’t comply with guidelines whereas asserting the dates for the competitors.
The brand new physique below Singh had, on Friday, introduced that U-15 and U-20 nationals can be held from December 28-30 in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.
Lochab, who received from the rival Sheoran-panel, had not attended the assembly and claimed that each one the selections ought to come by the WFI secretary normal.
Sanjay Singh maintained that the choice was taken conserving in thoughts the advantages and curiosity of junior wrestlers and that he didn’t flout any rule because the by-laws of the WFI Structure enable him to take determination and the secretary normal is sure to comply with.
WFI writes to UWW for lifting suspension
The newly-elected physique of WFI, on Friday, requested the world governing physique United World Wrestling (UWW) to carry the ban imposed on it and likewise introduced that it’s going to host the senior Nationwide Championships from January 28 in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar.
“We wrote to the UWW at present that the ban imposed on WFI ought to now be lifted as elections have been held democratically. I’m positive the suspension will finish quickly,” Sanjay Singh advised PTI.
The UWW had suspended WFI on August 23 for not holding well timed elections that had been delayed because of numerous courtroom circumstances.
No Nationwide Championship, apart from U-23, was held in 2023.
(With PTI inputs)
