Have a look at why wrestlers in India are protesting against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the protests reason
Seven female wrestlers have accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP MP and leader of the WFI, of criminal intimidation and sexual harassment.
Explained what is the reason for the wrestlers protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar
Modi teri kabar Khudegi chants at protest.
They are protesting for Justice or has this become completely a poltical campaign? pic.twitter.com/AvATs7h6mM
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) April 28, 2023
'Modi Teri Kabar Khudegi' chants raised during the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar, against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.@kritsween shares details. pic.twitter.com/T0V7XrTtAL
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 28, 2023
On April 21, they reported the incident to the police, and since then, they have petitioned the SC to prevent the registration of the FIR.
The Supreme Court intervened on Tuesday, April 25, as the current protest by wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh entered its third day, scheduling the matter for hearing on Friday, April 28.
The court also sent notice to the Delhi Police over the complaint made by seven female wrestlers demanding the filing of a FIR against Brij Bhushan, who is also the BJP MP from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh, for alleged sexual harassment.
Seven female wrestlers accused the MP of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation on April 21, accusing him of doing so during a ten-year period from 2012 to 2022.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud referred to the charges as “serious” in his notice.
The wrestlers made an attempt to cause problems at Jantar Mantar in January, but they called it off. Why are they suddenly resuming their protest?
The wrestlers have mentioned the government’s delay in making the committee’s report public, their lack of faith in the committee, and the MP’s lack of repercussions despite their guarantees in January as reasons for their unhappiness.
They also asserted that WFI continued to operate despite the ongoing investigation because Brij Bhushan was in charge when the first national tournament after the controversy started was held in his hometown of Gonda.
Who are the complainants against Brij Bhushan?
The seven female wrestlers who reported Brij Bhushan to the authorities are still unknown to this day and are kept secret.
CJI Chandrachud announced on Tuesday that the names of the complainants would be concealed from court records in order to preserve their privacy.
However, since the start of the protest in January, three wrestlers—Olympic bronze medalists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, as well as world medallist Vinesh Phogat—have taken the initiative.
When the first round of protests began, other wrestlers, including some young ones like Anshu Malik, Sonam Malik, Ravi Dahiya, and Deepak Punia, had supported them by accompanying them to Jantar Mantar or by creating videos.
Who is Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh?
Six times elected to the parliament, Brij Bhushan is a veteran administrator and politician.
He was chosen to represent Gonda in the Lok Sabha in 1991 and 1999, Balrampur in 2004, and Kaiserganj in 2009, 2014, and 2019.
He ran as a BJP candidate in each of these elections, with the exception of the 2009 election, which he won on an SP platform.
What have the wrestlers accused Brij Bhushan of?
The WFI has been charged by the wrestlers with financial mismanagement and irrational decision-making. The most serious claim, though, has been sexual harassment.
The complainants have provided a list of incidents that they allege took place between 2012 and 2022 at Brij Bhushan’s official MP residence in New Delhi as well as during domestic and international contests.
One of the complainants’ age was brought up in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, as a minor.
The Sports Ministry said in a letter to the Indian Olympic Association on Monday that the wrestlers had levelled complaints not only against Brij Bhushan but also against other federation officials and trainers, the identities of whom had not yet been determined.
What do the wrestlers demand?
The wrestlers are demanding that a FIR be made against Brij Bhushan based on their police report and that he be held in compliance with the POCSO Act because one of the complainants is a minor.
They have also requested that he be removed as president and that the WFI be dissolved.
Why have the allegations surfaced now if they are decade old?
Vinesh had received calls from numerous young female wrestlers who had voiced worries about the “unsafe environment” at the national camp in Lucknow, a protesting wrestler told The Indian Express in January.
The member had told this paper:
After those calls, Vinesh, Sakshi, and Bajrang had a chat among themselves and decided that Brij Bhushan and the coaches involved in sexual harassment over the years have to be called out. Other elite wrestlers Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik (both of whom were part of the Tokyo Olympics contingent) also came on board.”
How has the WFI responded to the protests?
The accusations of sexual harassment have been refuted by Brij Bhushan. He stated in January that he would be “willing to be hanged” if proven guilty.
He has not returned calls seeking his thoughts on the current protests. Allegations of financial mismanagement and operational arbitrariness have been rejected by the WFI.
And what steps has the government taken?
In an effort to encourage the wrestlers to halt their protest, the government established an Oversight Committee in January to look into the allegations against Brij Bhushan and monitor the WFI’s daily operations.
What are the findings of the Oversight Committee?
The report is currently being “examined” and has not yet been made public.
However, the Sports Ministry shared the “major findings” on Monday after conducting a preliminary analysis of the report.
The primary claims made by the government were as follows:
Lack of a fully functioning Internal Complaints Committee under the 2013 Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, as well as an adequate mechanism for educating athletes and addressing complaints.
Increasing the Federation’s transparency and consultation with all parties, particularly athletes, is necessary;
The Federation and athletes must effectively communicate with one another.