Wrestlers' Protest: What are the Allegations Against WFI Chief? Explained As Police Book Agitators

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia along with other protesters were booked for rioting and obstructing public servant in discharge of duty on Sunday after a scuffle with security personnel who tried to stop them from marching to the new Parliament building as it was being inaugurated. Soon after, the Delhi Police cleared the site of their over-month-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar and said they will not be allowed to return there.

The police said that 700 people were detained across the national capital. As many as 109 protesters, including the three wrestlers, were detained at Jantar Mantar. Women detainees were released later in the evening.

Opposition parties slammed the central government over the “manhandling” of wrestlers, who had resumed their agitation against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on April 23 demanding his arrest for alleged sexual harassment of several women grapplers, including a minor.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that the “arrogant king is crushing the voice of the people” on the streets as the “coronation” is over and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it is “shameful our champions are treated in this manner”.

The Protest

Elaborate security measures had been made after the wrestlers’ call for a women’s ‘Mahapanchayat’ outside the Parliament for which they did not have permission.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed at the dharna site at Jantar Mantar, barely three kilometres from the new Parliament building that was inaugurated by the prime minister, as protesters and police personnel shoved and pushed each other when the Phogat sisters, Sakshi Malik and others tried to breach the barricades.

Immediately after the wrestlers and other protesters were pushed into buses and taken to different locations, the police personnel began clearing the protest site by removing cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the wrestlers.

What did Police Say?

Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dependra Pathak claimed the protesters ignored repeated requests and warnings and “wrestled” with police personnel who tried to stop them.

“Today was an important day for the country as the new Parliament building was to be inaugurated and despite warnings and repeatedly urging protesters at Jantar Mantar to not march beyond the protest site, they continued to do so,” he said, adding the behaviour of the wrestlers was “highly irresponsible”.

“They were out to disturb the preparations made by the security agencies,” the senior police officer told PTI.

“The detained protesting wrestlers will not be allowed to continue with their dharna at Jantar Mantar. The entire protest venue at Jantar Mantar has been cleared,” Pathak said.

Wrestlers’ Take

Taking to Twitter, Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik, however, vowed to continue their sit-in at Jantar Mantar.

“Our movement is not over…. we will start our satyagraha at Jantar Mantar. In this country, there will be no dictatorship but there will be satyagraha held by women wrestlers,” she tweeted in Hindi.

All the female wrestlers who were detained have been released and the male wrestlers will also be released soon, a senior officer said later in the evening. Vinesh Phogat told PTI, “They (police) have released me, Sakshi (Malik) and Sangeeta (Phogat). The rest are still under detention.”

“The FIR has been registered at Parliament Street police station under New Delhi district against the organisers of the protest, including wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, and others who were part of the scuffle that took place at Jantar Mantar today with the police,” a senior police officer said.

The FIR has been registered under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the officer said.

What are the Wrestlers Protesting About?

The wrestlers had resumed the protest earlier this month which had initially started in January. The issue was sexual harassment allegations against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, due to which Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers returned to the protest site at Jantar Mantar demanding that the government make public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated the claims.

The wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik and Ravi Dahiya, had in January raised the issue, but ended their three-day long sit-in after marathon talks with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had announced the five-member oversight committee, headed by legendary boxer M C Mary Kom, to look into the allegations.

WHY HAD THE WRESTLERS PROTESTED IN JANUARY?

The country’s top wrestlers, including Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and world championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, had staged a protest against the “dictatorship” of national federation President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in January this year.

At the time, the wrestlers did not share the exact details of their grievances or their demands but it was clear that they were fed up with the way the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is being run by Singh, who is also a BJP MP from Kaiserganj.

Bajrang’s support staff, including his coach Sujeet Mann and physio Anand Dubey had also joined the protest. “The dictatorship will not be tolerated,” said another wrestler.

Later in the day, a crying Vinesh Phogat had alleged that Brij Bhushan has been sexually exploiting women wrestlers for many years, a charge vehemently rejected by the sports administrator and BJP MP.

Vinesh, who has been at loggerheads with WFI since the Tokyo Olympic Games, also claimed that several coaches at the national camp in Lucknow have also exploited women wrestlers, adding there are a few women at the camp who approached the wrestlers at the behest of the WFI President.

The 28-year-old though clarified that she herself never faced such exploitation but claimed that “one victim” was present at the ‘dharna’ they began at Jantar Mantar in January.

So disturbed was Vinesh that she along with Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia had even met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to flag their issues about three months back, she had said at the time.

Vinesh also claimed that she had received death threats at the behest of WFI President from officials close to him because she dared to draw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention to several issues plaguing Indian wrestling when she met him after the Tokyo Games.

“I know at least 10-20 women wrestlers who have told me about the sexual exploitation they faced at the hands of (the) WFI President. They told me their stories. I can’t take their names now but I can definitely reveal the names if we get to meet the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of the country,” Vinesh had said addressing the media after staging a four-hour ‘dharna’ at Jantar Mantar.

“I have received death threats from people who are close to the WFI President. If anything happens to any of us sitting here, only the WFI President will be responsible.”

Rio Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik, world championship medallist Sarita Mor, Sangeeta Phogat, Anshu Malik, Sonam Malik, Satyawart Malik, Jitender Kinha, Amit Dhankar and CWG medallist Sumit Malik were among 30 wrestlers who had assembled at the famous protest site.

COMMITTEE FORMED BUT REPORT NOT MADE PUBLIC

After the protest and allegations, a committee was formed by the government, led by boxer MC Mary Kom on January 23 to investigate the claims made by the country’s top wrestlers.

The names of the alleged victims had not been disclosed by the wrestlers. The committee, which oversaw the day-to-day operations of the sporting organisation, was given four weeks to produce its findings.

Following pleas from the committee members, the government extended the deadline, and it was set to deliver its report by March 9, according to a report by Outlook.

However, the wrestlers returned to the protest site Jantar Mantar and demanded that the government makes public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated into sexual harassment allegations against Singh.

The wrestlers, surrounded by a huge posse of police personnel, also demanded that an FIR be lodged against the WFI boss.

The six-member oversight panel, headed by legendary boxer MS Mary Kom, had submitted its report in the first week of April but the government has not yet made it public.“How long is it going to take for the (government) committee to submit its report. It’s already been three months and we are still waiting to hear from them. Will the report come out after the girls, who have filed complaints, die?,” questioned Vinesh, the world championship medallist.

“We are tired of asking the government to release the findings. We have filed a complaint at a police station in Connaught Place and want an FIR to be filed against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

“We have nothing to do with the (WFI) election process. We are more concerned about our careers. The (Paris) Olympics are upon us and we want to begin preparations in right earnest,” she had added.

PTI contributed to this report