Top wrestlers comprising Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia have been protesting since April 23, demanding action against Brij Bhushan
Hitting out at central govt over protest by wrestlers demanding the arrest and sacking of WFI chief, Rajasthan CM on Saturday said it wasn't even bothered about the plight of the women grapplers
Congress MLA Krishna Poonia on Friday accused the government of shielding WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and said if the women wrestlers who have accused him of sexual harassment are not heard, no other woman in the country will be able to raise her voice in future. In a video message, the Rajasthan Sports Council president and former athlete also urged the Centre to not ignore the complaints of the women wrestlers who have brought glory to the country. Top wrestlers of the country, including Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat and Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, have been protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and demanding his arrest for allegedly sexually harassing seven female grapplers, including a minor. They began a sit-in at Jantar Mantar on April 23 but were removed from the site by the Delhi Police on May 28 after they tried to march to the new Parliament building when it was being inaugurated. In her video message, .
Supreme Court lawyer Vineet Jindal said that the decision to make an arrest lies solely with the police authorities
Rahul Gandhi on Friday sharpened his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the BJP MP is still within his "suraksha kavach" (protective shield).
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday said everyone wants justice to be delivered to the wrestlers demanding action against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, but it will happen only after following the due process of law. Thakur's remarks came days after the country's top wrestlers, protesting for more than a month over allegations of sexual harassment against Singh, threatened to immerse their medals in the Ganga river in Haridwar. "The government favours an unbiased investigation.... All of us want justice to be delivered, but it will happen after following the due process," Thakur said in an interactive session at the India Economic Conclave organised by the Times Network. The minister said the Delhi Police is investigating the case, which was filed after a government-appointed committee submitted a report on the allegations against Singh, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP. "There is no question of bias," Thakur sai
The two FIRs carry serious allegations of sexual harassment of wrestlers during competitions in India and abroad by WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
The Ayodhya district administration has denied permission to BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to hold a rally here on June 5, an official said on Friday. Singh, the BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, has been accused of sexually abusing female grapplers. Circle Officer (Ayodhya) SP Gautam said in view of other programmes scheduled on the World Environment Day on June 5, the permission sought by BJP councillor Chamela Devi on behalf of Singh has been denied. Singh, in a Facebook post, said he has postponed the 'Jan Chetna Maharally' at the Ram Katha Park for "a few days" due to the ongoing police probe into the wrestlers' allegation against him. Prominent wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, have been holding protests since April 23 accusing Singh of sexual exploitation. Singh is the BJP MP from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh.
Demanding the arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by the top wrestlers of the country, GPMC said that sports should be made a 'holy area'
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday came out in support of protesting wrestlers who have been seeking arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh, stating that she will fight till they get justice. Taking to the streets of Kolkata, for a second day, Banerjee described the wrestlers' struggle as "a struggle for life, justice, and independence'. Will fight till protesting wrestlers get justice,the chief minister said. "I will request the wrestlers to continue their movement. This fight is for life, for independence, for humanitarian justice," Banerjee said while participating in a protest supporting the wrestlers who have been demonstrating sexual harassment of women grapplers and demanding the arrest of the WFI chief. She was leading a candle march from the statue of Gostha Pal, the first captain of India national football team at the Kolkata Maidan to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Mayo Road-Dufferin Road crossing.
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment allegations, on Thursday said the women wrestlers are changing their demands since they started their protest against him, asserting that the charges are already being probed by the Delhi Police. "Police is probing the matter. Let it complete. Whatever comes in it, I will act accordingly," Singh, who is also the BJP MP, said at a press conference here. "I request you with folded hands that unnecessary questions should not be asked to me," he told the reporters. He reiterated that if the charges levelled against him by women wrestlers were proved in the Delhi Police probe, he would hang himself. The WFI chief claimed that the protesting wrestlers have been changing their demands. "When the wrestlers sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar on January 18, they had put forward some demands. After some days, the demands were changed. They are changing their demands. I had asked women wrestlers
During the 2020 farmers' movement too, sportspersons from Punjab had marched towards Rashtrapati Bhavan to return 35 national awards
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said the Centre was sensitively handling the issue of protesting wrestlers, who are seeking the arrest of outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations. Thakur, who is on a visit to Mumbai, told reporters that the government has accepted the wrestlers' demand for a committee to probe their allegations and an investigation was underway. Several Olympic and World Championships medal-winning wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, have been protesting in New Delhi demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) outgoing chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing several women grapplers, including a minor. The wrestlers recently threatened to immerse their medals in the river Ganga. "The government is handling the issue of protesting wrestlers sensitively. The wrestlers asked for an FIR which has been filed by the .
Govt should have been more sensitive to wrestlers
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday that women wrestlers' complaint against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Singh is being probed and action will be taken once the investigation is over. Some of the country's top wrestlers have been protesting against Brij Bhushan Singh, a BJP MP, demanding his sacking from the federation and his arrest. The Delhi Police has registered two FIRs against him and is probing the case. "The matter is being investigated. The government will take action in the matter once the investigation is over," the defence minister told reporters. He was in the district to attended a family function. He also said all political parties should have attended the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. "The inauguration of new Lok Sabha Bhawan was a public event which should have been attended by all political parties. It was not a session of the House. It was a matter of pride for th
The Congress leader also urged the wrestlers to reconsider their decision of holding an indefinite hunger strike
Outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment charges levelled by female wrestlers, on Wednesday said he will hang himself even if a single allegation is proved against him. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP also said all wrestlers are like his children and he will not blame them as his blood and sweat have also gone into their success. "I am once again saying that if even if a single allegation is proved against me, I will hang myself," Singh said while addressing a programme at the Mahadeva auditorium in the Ramnagar area here. "It has been four months since they (wrestlers) want me to be hanged, but the government is not hanging me. So they were going to immerse their medals in the Ganga. Brij Bhushan will not be hanged by throwing medals in the Ganga. If you have proof, give it to the court and if the court hangs me, I will accept it," the member of Parliament from Kaiserganj said. He said he will not blame the .
The investigation into the sexual harassment case against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is under progress and reports claiming that the Delhi Police has not found sufficient evidence are "wrong", officials said on Wednesday. The police had earlier said that they had not found sufficient evidence to arrest Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Singh, who is accused of sexually harassing seven female wrestlers, including a minor. Later, taking to Twitter, the Delhi Police said, "Several media channels are running a story that the Delhi Police hasn't found sufficient evidence in the cases registered against the Ex-President of WFI and a final report in the matter is due to be submitted before the concerned court. "It is to clarify that this news is 'wrong' and the investigation into this sensitive case is under progress with all sensitivity," it tweeted. The wrestlers, who had been protesting at Jantar Mantar since April 23 seeking the arrest of Singh, were removed from the site b
The women wrestlers had approached the Supreme Court and two FIRs were registered on April 28, one under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act
Expressing its disappointment, the global wrestling body said that if WFI does not hold elections within 45 days, UWW will suspend India