IOA backtracks on statement supporting protesting wrestlers

Sakshi Malik Bajrang Punia, who are among the key wrestlers leading the protest, exercise at Jantar Mantar. PTI

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes Commission on Sunday decided against releasing a statement expressing solidarity for the wrestlers protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) in New Delhi.

The development comes days after IOA president PT Usha slammed the ongoing protests by leading wrestlers at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, saying it was “not good for sport”.

Wrestlers’ protest against WFI: A timeline of the developments so far

Bajrang Punia: Few people trying to take wrestlers’ protest to a different direction, please don’t indulge in politics

WFI sexual harassment case: Wrestlers vow to protest until Brij Bhushan Singh behind bars; SC issues notice

According to a report on the Indian Express, the Athletes Commission — headed by boxing legend MC Mary Kom — had drafted a statement following a meeting on Saturday which was to be neutral in tone by calling for more measures to be put in place to ensure athletes’ safety.

The report, however, stated that Olympic medal-winning shooter Gagan Narang voted against the idea, saying it was “too late” to release a statement more than a week into the second round of protests by the wrestlers.

Leading Indian wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are leading a second round of protests at Jantar Mantar in the national capital demanding the arrest of under-fire WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexually harassing several wrestlers besides inflicting mental harassment as well as financial misappropriation.

Brij Bhushan, who also happens to be a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, has denied the charges levelled against him and maintained innocence in the matter while accusing involvement of rival political parties in the ongoing protests that have taken the nation by storm.

Read | WFI chief Brij Bhushan says ‘Industrialist, Congress behind protests’

The Delhi Police, meanwhile, have filed two FIRs against Brij Bhushan, one of which involves the POCSO Act pertaining to the allegation of sexually assaulting a minor. This was more than a week after the wrestlers filed a complaint at the Connaught Place police station, and only after the matter was taken to the Supreme Court.

The wrestlers had initially staged protests at the same site in January, but called it off just three days later after a meeting with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, who announced the formation of an six-member oversight committee that was tasked with investigating the claims against Brij Bhushan.

The panel was given four weeks to arrive at a conclusion. With more than three months passing without any concrete action being taken against the WFI chief led to the wrestlers returning to Delhi for a fresh sit-in protest.

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