New Delhi: A six-hour meeting between the country’s top wrestlers and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday was inconclusive over the arrest of outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Singh has been accused by female wrestlers of sexual harassment.
“The government has sought time till 15 June to complete the investigation. They have asked us to suspend our protests till then,” said Olympic champion Sakshee Mallikh to the media.
We have been asked to suspend our protest till police completes its investigation by June 15: Wrestler Sakshi Malik
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 7, 2023
Also present at the meeting was Olympic medal winner Bajrang Punia, who said: “He has asked us not to take any decision before that. He also told us that the security of women and male wrestlers would be taken care of. Cases against wrestlers (filed for their protests on 28 May) would be withdrawn. The government has okayed some of our demands. We will discuss these proposals with our supporters, including farmer leaders.”
#WATCH | We had a discussion on some issues. Police investigation should be completed by 15th June and the minister has requested us not to hold protests until then. He also said the security of female wrestlers will be taken care of. We have requested that all FIRs against… pic.twitter.com/rPXCpPcMwU
— ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2023
Top wrestlers met Union Sport Minister Anurag Thakur Wednesday morning, hours after he invited them via Twitter to discuss their “issues” – their long-standing demand for action against Brij Bhushan Singh over sexual harassment charges.
The athletes tabled a list of five demands in front of Thakur – immediate arrest of Singh, his removal from the WFI and any family members from both the federation and state associations, quashing of FIRs filed against wrestlers during their protests, and appointment of a woman as chief of the WFI.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Bajrang Punia and Sakshee Malikkh were also accompanied to the minister’s Delhi home by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait Wednesday. Tikait had dissuaded the athletes last week from throwing their medals in the Ganga. The farmers, who belong to powerful khaps, gave the government till 9 June to act against Singh.
Past midnight Tuesday, Thakur tweeted that the government was willing to have a discussion with the wrestlers over their issues. “I have once again invited the wrestlers for the same,” he said.
To this, Malikkh said Wednesday morning that they wouldn’t agree to just about anything that the government had to offer. Their protest would continue till their demand for quick action against Singh were met, she added. Malikkh has led the protracted agitation against Singh, also a BJP Member of Parliament, along with Punia and Vinesh Phogat.
The meeting with Thakur comes four days after a delegation of grapplers and their coaches met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and were advised to “allow the law to take its own course”.
Seven women wrestlers, including a minor, have accused Singh of inappropriate behaviour – a charge that has ignited protests since January.
The Delhi Police has registered two FIRs against Singh – one under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) on the minor’s complainant and the other for a comprehensive investigation into the other six.
India’s top wrestlers faced brutal police action in the capital on 28 May – one month into their open-air protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The agitation site was cleared out by the Delhi Police when wrestlers were on a march to the new Parliament building which was being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that morning.
Also read: ‘Won’t agree to just anything,’ say protesting wrestlers after minister’s invite for talks