Vinesh, Bajrang and Sakshi making efforts to stop Brij Bhushan aide from becoming WFI head: Report

Aug 11, 2023 - 12:30

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Vinesh, Bajrang and Sakshi making efforts to stop Brij Bhushan aide from becoming WFI head: Report

Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, who led the protests against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, are making numerous efforts to stop the BJP MP’s aide Sanjay Singh from becoming the next federation president.

Sanjay Singh, a close aide of Brij Bhushan, and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran will fight for the WFI president post in the federation elections to take place on Saturday.

Vinesh, Sakshi, Bajrang and the other wrestlers who were part of the demonstrations against Brij Bhushan, who has been accused of sexual harassment by six women wrestlers, are backing Sheoran for the president’s post. Sheoran is also one of the witnesses in the sexual harassment case against the BJP leader.

A source close to the Bajrang, Vinesh and Sakshi camp told news agency PTI on Thursday that the wrestlers had met Sports Minister Anurag Thakur in the morning and hoped of meeting Home Minister Amit Shah later in the day.

“The wrestlers are hopeful that the Home Minister could give them time today,” said the source on the condition of anonymity.

“Some mediator has given them assurance that after the Parliament session today, the Home Minister could meet them. They (wrestlers) met the Sports Minister in the morning and he apparently told them he will look into the matter,” the source added.

“The wrestlers conveyed their misgivings about Sanjay Singh from the Brij Bhushan camp getting elected to the post of president. The wrestlers said that while they had demanded none of Brij Bhushan’s relatives should contest the WFI elections, it also implied that none of his close aides should contest the polls.

“And, Sanjay Singh is a close aide of Brij Bhushan. He is probably a business partner of the BJP leader. They have a problem with him becoming WFI chief,” the source added.

“In that case, Brij Bhushan’s son could have contested… what’s the difference?”

Brij Bhushan, his son Karan and son-in-law Vishal Singh (Bihar wrestling body chief) are not in the fray for any post, following assurances given by the Sports Minister to the wrestlers that none of the BJP leader’s relatives will be part of the new WFI governing body.

“The wrestlers shared all these details with the minister. They want Anita Sheoran (a police officer from Haryana who has filed her nomination as a representative of the Odisha unit) to become WFI president and this is what they are going to request the Home Minister if they get to meet him,” the source added.

The source refused to divulge the whereabouts of wrestlers who had earlier in the day called a press conference at Rajghat but had to shelve the idea due to the imposition of Section 144 in the area owing to the Independence Day preparations.

“If somehow Brij Bhushan can be convinced (that Sanjay Singh should not contest) then the entire matter will get resolved in no time,” added the source.

“The wresters have no issues with who becomes the secretary, treasurer, joint secretary or senior vice-president. They only want that Sheoran becomes president.”

A source close to the Brij Bhushan camp asked will the wrestlers withdraw all cases of sexual harassment against the BJP leader if Sanjay Singh doesn’t contest.

“Does that (Sanjay Singh not contesting) mean all the cases of sexual harassment will be withdrawn against Brij Bhushan? It is now not possible to pull out of the race. We are confident of winning the WFI elections,” the source said.

Earlier in the day, Vinesh had tweeted that due to Section 144 being imposed in and around Rajghat they had to cancel their press conference that was aimed at throwing light on the recent developments.

“The police have imposed Section 144 at Rajghat and have stopped us from holding a press conference. Will finalise the time and place of the next press conference soon,” Vinesh tweeted.