Understanding the Injustice in Wrestling

Indian wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik announced in a press conference that they will not cease their protests until MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is arrested. The Delhi Police told the Supreme Court that they will file an FIR against Singh after the wrestlers accused him of sexual harassment and exploitation as president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Despite the development, the wrestlers claimed that justice must be served and demanded the removal of Singh from all positions of power. They also expressed their lack of faith in the Delhi police and said they would only present further evidence to the Supreme Court.

Vinesh Phogat appealed to all Indian athletes to come together and prevent figures like Singh from gaining power in any sport. The wrestlers had previously protested in January but agreed to disband after discussions with the Sports Ministry and the formation of an oversight committee. However, they returned to the streets due to fears that the WFI was back in control and doubts over the committee’s report. The wrestlers were also disappointed by the lack of support from the Sports Ministry and the country’s sports minister, Anurag Thakur.

The wrestlers insisted that their protest would continue until Singh was behind bars, even with an entire list of FIRs against him. The athletes also accused Thakur of ignoring their calls and claims of spending only twelve minutes with them instead of the claimed twelve hours.

–Re-reported from the story originally published in https://indianexpress.com/