IOA’s Decision to Take Charge of WFI is First Step in Our Fight for Justice: Wrestlers

The protesting wrestlers on Sunday termed the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) resolution to take cost of all of the actions of the Wrestling Federation of India because the “first step” in their fight against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former WFI chief.

The country’s top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar for the last 22 days demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan for alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers.

The IOA, through its letter on May 12, asked the secretary general of WFI to hand over the official documents including financial instruments to its ad-hoc panel, making it clear the outgoing office bearers shall have no role in the running of the federation.

The WFI said it has no issues in obeying the IOA order since they were already co-operating with the authorities.

“This (the dissolution of the current WFI) is the first step in our fight for justice. Our fight has begun in right earnest, it’s a victory for us… and we will continue or fight until we get justice,” mentioned Bajrang, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist.

Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat rued that not a single ruling get together’s lady parliamentarian had met the wrestlers “to prolong help in our battle for the dignity of ladies”.

She said that from Monday onwards the wrestlers will give letters by hand or via e-mail to all women parliamentarians of the ruling party to come and support them.

“When they talk about the safety of women in the country, then we too are their daughters and they should come out and support us,” she mentioned.

“We are writing an open letter to them (ruling get together’s ladies parliamentarians) and our fellow wrestlers will ship these letters by hand. We may even ship letters through e-mail. We really feel that our voice, our grievances, haven’t but reached them… we really feel that after they obtain the letters they are going to come and help us,” added Vinesh.

Vinesh also requested the people gathered at Jantar Mantar to visit their respective district headquarters on May 16 and give a memorandum in support of the wrestlers.

“We request the people supporting us to also launch a satyagraha andolan (nonviolent resistance) for just one day for the dignity of women,” added Vinesh.

Meanwhile, the IOA’s three-member ad-hoc committee has made it clear that the method to elect new WFI workplace bearers might be accomplished throughout the 45-day timeframe and that the cost might be handed again to the elected physique.

“Once the elections might be held, the executive powers will return to the WFI. The newly elected officers will run the present. It’s only a non permanent transfer that ad-hoc is managing the affairs of the federation,” an official told PTI.

(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)