Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday joined protesting India’s top wrestlers, demanding the “immediate arrest” of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing women wrestlers. Hooda said that he stands with the protesting wrestlers and demanded that the allegations raised by them should be probed.
“These wrestlers have made the nation proud, not just an area. Sportspersons and coaches from across India are here. They should have been in stadiums today, and practising there to make the country proud, why are they forced to sit at Jantar Mantar today? This is a serious question, and allegations raised by them should be probed and they must get justice,” Hooda told reporters.
“We support the wrestlers. If they don’t get justice, we will stand by them,” he added.
After a gap of three months, on Sunday, India’s top wrestlers once again staged a sit-in at Jantar Mantar to protest against the WFI chief, claiming that their demands were not met despite assurances after their previous protest. The protesters included Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat, Jitender Kinha, among others.
They demanded that the government make public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated the allegations against Sharan.
As the protest continues, Vinesh Phogat shared a photo on Monday which showed the wrestlers sleeping in the open on a footpath. “From podium to footpath. In the middle of the night, sleeping under the sky, waiting for justice,” she tweeted.
In January, the wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, raised the issue and ended their three-day long sit-in after marathon talks with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
Thakur had announced a five-member oversight committee, headed by legendary boxer M C Mary Kom, to look into the allegations.
Meanwhile, the wrestlers have filed a writ petition, seeking a direction for registration of an FIR against the WFI chief, reported Bar and Bench.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud remarked, “There are serious allegations made in the petition by wrestlers who have represented India and sexual harassment meted out to them. The matter requires consideration by this court.”