Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met wrestler Bajrang Punia and other wrestlers in Haryana amid the uproar over the election of the new chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and the subsequent suspension of the newly-elected body by the Sports Ministry.
This meeting was followed by Punia’s decision to return the Padma Shri in protest of the recent WFI polls, resulting in Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan loyalist, becoming the new WFI chief, which didn’t sit well with the protesting wrestlers.
These athletes had initially been protesting against BJP’s Brij Bhushan over allegations of sexual harassment. As Sanjay Singh took over the presidency and Brij Bhushan retired from the sport, the Sports Ministry intervened, suspending the newly elected WFI body. The BJP MP had stepped aside earlier in the year amidst allegations of sexual harassment.
Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with the wrestlers took place at Virendra Akhara in Chhara village, where Bajrang and Deepak Punia began their wrestling journey. He is expected to visit the Mehar Singh Akhara in Dev Colony, Rohtak, later in the day.
According to Bajrang Punia, Rahul Gandhi observed their wrestling routine and even engaged in some wrestling himself, emphasizing his interest in understanding a wrestler’s daily routine. He said, “He came to see our wrestling routine…He did wrestling…He came to see the day-to-day activities of a wrestler.”
The protest against Brij Bhushan Singh was led by prominent athletes like Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, alongside Bajrang Punia.
