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New Delhi: The top Indian wrestler, who earlier this year protested against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and other coaches alleging sexual harassment of female wrestlers, has filed a fresh police complaint and lodged a complaint with Delhi’s Jantar Have come once again to protest at Mantar. Seven women wrestlers have filed a sexual harassment complaint against federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at the Connaught Place police station in central Delhi.
Wrestler Sakshi Malik said that an FIR is yet to be registered on the basis of the complaint. He said that he is disappointed that the report of a government panel on the issue has not yet been made public. “We want the report, in which statements of women wrestlers have been recorded, to be made public. It is a sensitive issue, one of the complainants is a minor girl,” he said. He said that the names of the complainants should not be leaked.
Sharing a picture on social media, Vinesh Phogat wrote, “From podium to footpath.” In the hope of justice under the open sky at midnight.
Podium से फुटपाथ तक।
आधी रात खुले आसमान के नीचे न्याय की आस में। pic.twitter.com/rgaVTM5WGK
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) April 23, 2023
Another senior wrestler Bajrang Punia said, “We will not leave here until Brij Bhushan is arrested.” Vinesh Phogat said that despite repeated efforts, no response is being received from the government. He said, “Until we get justice, we will sleep and eat here. We have been trying to contact them (Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and other concerned officials) for three months.
The committee members are not responding to us. The Sports Ministry also did not say anything. They don’t even pick up our phone. We have won medals for the country and have put our career at stake for this.
The Sports Ministry had on January 23 constituted a five-member monitoring committee headed by ace boxer MC Mary Kom and asked it to submit its report in a month. Its deadline was later extended for two weeks and Babita Phogat was included as the sixth member of the inquiry panel on the request of the protesting wrestlers.
The protest was started on January 18 by triple Commonwealth Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, one of India’s most celebrated female wrestlers. Phogat had said that she herself had never faced such abuse, but claimed that many wrestlers were afraid to come forward because of their modesty.
Top wrestlers had said that they are not satisfied after talks with the government and will not wrestle until their demands are met. Alleging mismanagement in the functioning of the federation, he demanded complete metamorphosis of the federation.
