Wrestling
Wrestlers put protest on hold till June 15
After a long meeting with the Sports Minister, the wrestlers put their protest on hold till 15th June till the investigation against Brij Bhushan is completed.
New Delhi: As the battle between wrestlers and WFI Chief extends, the wrestlers have decided to put a hold on the protest for a week after the government requested them to await the completion of the police investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh here on Wednesday.
After the sports minister asked wrestlers to visit him for a discussion, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik visited the minister's residence with Satyawart Kadian and a few other supporters.
Following a lengthy meeting with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, which lasted close to six hours, the wrestlers announced that the government had also assured them that the police would withdraw the First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against them.
"We were told that the police investigation will be complete by June 15. Till then, we have been asked to wait and suspend the protest," Sakshi Malik told reporters after the meeting.
Both Malik and Punia emphasized that their protest was not yet concluded, and they had only temporarily suspended it until June 15 as requested by the government.
Later in the press conference, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur announced the government has asked the wrestlers to wait and there has been a healthy discussion.
He also announced that the long pending election of the Wrestling Federation of India would be held by 30th June.
In another important announcement, two coaches will be added to the ad-hoc committee running the Wrestling Federation of India.
Wrestlers also demanded an Internal Complaints Committee within the federation, which will be headed by a woman, along with the removal of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his family members from WFI.
While the Sports Minister assured that there has been a positive discussion between the government and the wrestlers, he avoided the questions directed at the arrest of Brij Bhushan Singh, which is one of the primary demands of the wrestlers.
The wrestlers, though, remained adamant about their demand regarding Singh's arrest.
The Delhi Police has recorded statements of the associates of Singh and those working at his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda as part of the investigation into the allegations against him.
