Wrestlers' protest against WFI: A timeline of the developments so far

After hogging the headlines in January earlier this year, Indian top wrestlers are back at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi with their sit-in protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a BJP Lok Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh.

The wrestlers accused Singh of sexual harassment and demanded an FIR against him.

Timeline of protest; January to April

18 January:

Wrestlers headlined by Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, two-time world championships medallist Vinesh Phogat and Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik gather at the Jantar Mantar and accuse Singh of sexual harassment. Their allegation is that Singh had been doing it for many years with impunity.

Vinesh Phogat also alleged that officials close to Singh gave her death threats.

In these circumstances, the wrestlers claimed, the national camps were gripped by an environment of “fear and intimidation.”

Following the surprising allegation, the Sports Ministry asks the WFI to respond in 72 hours and threatens if the federation fails to meet the deadline.

19 January:

More wrestlers started pouring into the protest. They claimed to have evidence to back up their allegations of sexual harassment against Singh and said that they could also file an FIR against him.

BJP member and former wrestler Babita Phogat reached out to the wrestlers and assures them of speaking to the government.

The protesting wrestlers reached Sports Minister Anurag Thakur’s residence for a nearly five hours long meeting, but nothing came out of it.

20 January:

Wrestlers wrote to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha demanding Singh’s resignation, formation of an inquiry committee to look into the case, dissolution of WFI and appointment of a new body to run WFI’s affairs in consultation with them.

The IOA responded with a seven-member enquiry panel led by 2012 Olympic medallist boxer MC Mary Kom.

21 January:

Wrestlers call upon the Sports Minister Thakur again for a fresh round of talks. They agreed upon an Oversight Committee to probe the allegations and Singh stepping aside the probe was complete.

The protest was called off later that night.

21 January:

WFI responded to the Sports Ministry and denied the allegations.

“Not a single allegation of sexual harassment is accepted nor has ever been noticed nor found nor so far complained nor reported to sexual harassment committee to WFI, hence allegations to that effect are equally malicious and unfounded without being any truth in the matter,” it said.

The ministry directed the federation to suspend all ongoing activities immediately and scheduled an emergency AGM meeting. Assistant Secretary WFI Vinod Tomar was also suspended.

23 January:

Sports Ministry named the five members of the Oversight Committee (OC). It included Olympic bronze medallist grappler Yogeshwar Dutt, former India badminton player Trupti Murgunde, former CEO of Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Captain .Rajagopalan and former SAI Executive Director (Teams) Radhica Sreeman.

They were given four weeks to complete the probe against Singh. They were also mandated to run the WFI’s affairs in the interim.

31 January:

Babita Phogat was included in the Oversight Committee as the sixth member. The wrestlers complained of not being consulted on the names of the OC members.

23 February:

The OC was given a two-week extension to complete the probe.

16 April:

WFI elections were announced for 7 May, after the OC submitted its report, which wasn’t made public.

Singh, the accused — who had hitherto held the office for three terms — said that he wouldn’t contest for a fourth term.

23 April:
The wrestlers head back to Jantar Mantar, this time claiming that seven female wrestlers, including a minor, had filed a sexual harassment complaint against Singh at Delhi’s Connaught Place police station and the police did not file an FIR.

@PMOIndia @DelhiPolice, @NCWIndia @DCPNewDelhi , @PMO_NaMo, @IndiaSports, @India_NHRC, @SupremeCourtIND, @MLJ_GoI, @timesofindia, @ThePrintIndia pic.twitter.com/cGvY9tAyie

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) April 23, 2023

They demanded an FIR and making the OC report public.

24 April:

Sports Ministry responded to the wrestlers’ demand by revealing that the OC report stated the absence of an Internal Complaints Committee, as the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act demands. It also declared the WFI elections ‘null and void’.

The IOA president PT Usha is asked to form an ad-hoc committee to conduct federation elections within 45 days and run the WFI affairs in the meantime.

Nothing was said about the demand for an FIR against Singh.

25 April:

Wrestlers reached the Supreme Court (SC) to have an FIR registered against Singh.

SC termed the allegations “serious” and asked the Delhi Police to respond by 28 April.

27 April:

IOA formed a three-member panel, as asked by the Sports Ministry on 24 April. The IOA president accused the wrestlers of indiscipline and said that they should have approached the association instead of protesting on the road.

28 April:

Delhi Police informed the SC that they will register an FIR against Singh in their response. The SC directs the police to assess threats to the wrestlers and provide security to the minor involved.

Wrestlers said they will continue the protest till Singh is sent to the jail.

29 April:

WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh says he is ‘ready to face any kind of investigation’, but won’t resign from the post.

“I am completely innocent and have full faith in Supreme Court and Delhi Police. I am ready to face any kind of investigation,” Singh told news agency PTI.

“Resigning as president of the Wrestling Federation of India is not a big deal for me, but I will not resign as a criminal,” he added.

29 April:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal meets the protesting wresters at Jantar Mantar. He raises slogans “Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Inquilab Zindabad and Vande Mataram” at Jantar Mantar.

“Friends, those wrestlers of our country, those players of our nation who glorified the name of Bharat in the whole world…. Today for the past one week are sitting and protesting at the Jantar Mantar”.

“Why are they protesting? Because one of the big leaders of their party(referring to BJP), mistreated the girls, our sisters who glorified the name of our country. By the way, if any girl of our country, any sister of our country, any woman of our country is ill-treated, that person should be immediately caught and the harshest punishment should be given. He should be hanged,” says Kejriwal.

30 April:

WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday in a stern message to the protesting wrestlers said in order to get justice, the police or the court must be approached.

…You don’t get justice from Jantar Mantar. If you want justice, you have to go to the Police, Court. They never did that until now. We will accept whatever the court decides..,” said Brij Bhushan.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.