 "Wrestlers Protest")
Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, two of India's finest wrestlers, have threatened to resume their protest following the election of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's son Karan Bhushan Singh as president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association.
The wrestlers, both Olympic medalists, are also upset that Sanjay Singh, a close aide to Brij Bhushan, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Kaiserganj, will return as WFI president and handle day-to-day operations after the federation's ban was overturned on Tuesday by United World Wrestling (UWW).
Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik to start protest again
Decision-making powers in the hands of Brij Bhushan loyalists at the state-level and in the WFI saw Sakshi and Bajrang take to social media, threatening to restart their protests.
"Just 2–3 days back, Brij Bhushan's son became the president of the UP wrestling body despite him saying no one from his family will come into wrestling administration. The government had promised that Brij Bhushan or his relatives or associates will not govern the sport," Bajrang said in a video posted on Instagram.
The Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist also requested the Centre to take a decision quickly, else they will be forced to start the protests again.
"I request the government to take a quick decision. Even though the IOA [ministry] has suspended the WFI, the WFI conducted its nationals in Pune, elections are happening in states… The WFI thinks it is bigger than the government. We wrestlers will talk to all those who support us — farmer groups, khap panchayats, labour unions and women organisations — and make a decision in the next two to three days. I request the government not to force us to start the protests again," Bajrang said.
Sakshi also said that if those close to Brij Bhushan were allowed to run the WFI, she would hit the streets again.
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"Sanjay Singh has done some setting with the UWW and got the suspension lifted. I have retired from wrestling, but I won't allow Brij Bhushan and his people to run the federation and also trouble women wrestlers. In the next few days, we will talk to everyone who was involved in the protest and decide the future course of action. I request the government to remove people connected to Brij Bhushan from the WFI and place someone who is clean and capable at the top," she said in a video posted on X.
Wrestlers' protest
Brij Bhushan has been accused of sexual harassment by six women wrestlers. Sakshi and Bajrang, together with Vinesh Phogat, a two-time world championship medalist, spearheaded protests calling for his arrest last year.
The protests were called off following a meeting with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, during which the government informed them that no one from Brij Bhushan's family would contest the WFI elections.
Three days after the WFI elections, on December 21, the sports ministry suspended the newly elected committee of the governing body. The reason for the action was Brij Bhushan's conduct immediately after the election results were announced.
Sharing details of the action, a ministry official had said that despite the formation of the new committee, WFI affairs were being conducted from Brij Bhushan's premises "wherein sexual harassment of players has been alleged", and that he "appears to be in complete control".
