Athletes Make 5 Major Demands During Their Meeting With Sports Minister Anurag Thakur

Delhi: India’s top wrestlers, Bajrang Punia and Sakshee Malikkh, who are leading a protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh over sexual harassment and stalking, met with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, a few hours after invitation. The athletes made five major demands.

The five major demands made by the top wrestlers are:

1) A woman should take over as the next Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

2) Brij Bhushan Singh and no one from his family will be a part of the wrestling federation.

3) The protesting wrestlers have demanded “free and fair” elections to the wrestling body whose leadership has been accused of corruption and mismanagement.

4) The wrestlers have called for the FIR registered against them for allegedly violating law and order in connection with a scuffle that broke out at Jantar Mantar on April 28 be revoked.

5) The wrestlers reiterated their calls for Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s arrest over alleged sexual harassment charges.

The government had invited the protesting wrestlers for a discussion for the second time, a few days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah met them at his residence regarding their accusations of sexual assault against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh.

On this occasion, Thakur has urged the athletes to have a discussion. Thakur tweeted the following on late-Tuesday midnight: “The government is willing to have a discussion with the wrestlers on their issues. I have once again invited the wrestlers for the same.”

Delhi Police record statements of Brij Bhushan Singh’s arrest:

Earlier, the Delhi Police took statements of a few employees of Brij Bhushan Singh and those working at his residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda as part of their investigation. Furthermore, a minor, who earlier gave two statements against the WFI chief, based on which a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has now recorded a fresh statement under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) section 164.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait insisted that they haven’t stopped supporting the wrestlers and have postponed the June 9 demonstration against the WFI chief on the athletes’ request. According to some media reports, the farmer leaders were unhappy with the wrestlers for keeping them in the dark about their meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah. Hence, they decided to stop supporting them moving forward.