'I don't accept this...': Suspended WFI president Sanjay Singh opposes Sports Ministry, IOA ad-hoc panel

Sanjay Singh, president of the suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), said the organisation will hold talks with the government and then take legal route if needed after an ad-hoc panel was formed to run the national body. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formed an ad-hoc committee to oversee activities in Indian wrestling after Sports Ministry suspended the WFI.

Read | Why did Sports Ministry suspend the Wrestling Federation of India?

Singh further asserted that he had won the elections democratically by bagging 40 of 47 votes and “didn’t accept the committee” formed by the IOA.

“We have won the elections (of WFI) democratically. The returning officer was the retired chief justice of J&K High Court, there were observers from the IOA and UWW (United World Wrestling). There were 22 state units (three absent out of 25 state associations) taking part in the elections, 47 votes were polled out of which I got 40,” Sanjay told news agency PTI.

“After all these, if you say we are suspended, we are not going to accept it. A democratically-elected body was not given a chance to explain its position which is against the principle of natural justice which everybody is entitled to under the Constitution of India.”

On Sunday, the Sports Ministry had suspended WFI and all its office-bearers for violating its own constitution. It also instructed the IOA to form an ad-hoc committee to manage and control the affairs of WFI.

Timeline | How things have unfolded since WFI elections

On Wednesday, IOA announced the members of the ad-hoc panel. Bhupinder Singh Bajwa is the president of the newly created ad-hoc committee. He will be assisted by MM Somaya and Manjusha Kanwar.

“WFI is an autonomous body and the government has not followed proper procedure. We are going to talk to the government and if it (government) does not take back the suspension, we are taking legal opinion and going to court,” Singh added.

Sighting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to an akhada where he met Bajrang Punia, Singh said that the protesting wrestlers are playing politics.

“It is clear that they (Bajrang, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik) are being backed by the Congress, tool-kit gang and left parties. These three are playing on the lap of these political parties,” said Sanjay, a close aide of former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

“Please tell me any fourth wrestler who is opposing the WFI other than these three. These three don’t want the junior wrestlers to progress, they want to take away the rights of junior wrestlers.

“Bajrang had gone (to the Hangzhou Asian Games) without taking part in the trials and he came back with 10-0 loss. They are not in wrestling, they are in politics. Please come forward if you are concerned about wrestling, the road is clear for you, but if you want to do politics, please do it in the open.”

Sanjay also slammed Bajrang for leaving his Padma Shri on the pavement at Kartya Path after he decided to return it to the government.

“It may be a personal matter, but the country’s emotions are associated in Khel Ratna, it’s not for a single person, but belongs to the whole society. Padma Shri is not something which should be put on a road,” he said.

WFI elections took place on 21 December and Sanjay Singh, a close associate of outgoing chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was appointed as the new chief. In the aftermath of this outcome, Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik retired while world champion Vinesh Phogat returned her Khel Ratna and Arjuna award and Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia his Padma Shri Award.

The trio have accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually assaulting wrestlers including minors. After weeks of protests to get his ouster, the government had promised that none of his family members or close associates will be allowed to hold position in the WFI.

United World Wrestling ban

Sanjay revealed that he has written to the United World Wrestling requesting the lifting of the ban imposed on WFI.

“We have written to the UWW requesting to lift the ban imposed on the WFI, as the elections were held democratically. Office holidays are going on (in Europe) so may take some days.”

He added that the office bearers did not violate any constitutional provision of WFI for which the federation was suspended. The Sports Ministry said that WFI had flouted the constitutional norms while announcing the dates and venue of the U-15 and U-20 National Championships in Gonda.

“There was full quorum when we took the decision to hold the U-15 and U-20 Nationals. There was an AGM on the day of the elections, we went to a hotel (in Delhi) and took the decision.

“If the Nationals were not held this year, the future of the young wrestlers would have been spoilt, which it has happened now. They will become overage. Everybody agreed to the venue also.”

The Sports Ministry had also accused WFI of not involving newly-elected WFI Secretary General Prem Chand Lochab in the decision-making.

“We told the secretary general to go there (at the hotel) along with us but he did not come. I don’t know what is his intention.

“We followed the WFI Constitution to the full. If we did something (wrong), the government should have asked for an answer from us instead of restraining us from our work. WFI is an autonomous body and we were elected in a democratic way under our (WFI) constitution.”