Protesting wrestlers in India have delayed their plan to immerse their medals in the Ganges River after farmer leader Naresh Tikait intervened and secured a five-day ultimatum from them. The wrestlers are pressing for the removal and arrest of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, over allegations of sexual harassment. The wrestlers plan to sit on a hunger strike at India Gate after consigning their medals to the waters. The protest began in January and has since developed into a significant headache for the Indian government.
WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers. The protests began in January 2021 with wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik staging a sit-in against the WFI and its chief, accusing them of sexually abusing women athletes and issuing death threats. They demanded the formation of a neutral committee to investigate the charges against the WFI chief and his removal. The protests have continued despite a promise made in January of an investigation, with wrestlers calling for Singh’s arrest and removal from all posts he holds, including MP.
The Wrestling Federation of India is the governing body for wrestling in India. It is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association and is responsible for organising national championships and selecting wrestlers to represent the country in international competitions.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is the president of the Wrestling Federation of India. He is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician, having won the Kaiserganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Indian general election. He has been accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers and issuing death threats, allegations which he denies.
