India’s most-decorated women wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, on Wednesday accused BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment.
Addressing the media on behalf of the women wrestlers allegedly exploited – the wrestlers staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi – Vinesh Phogat, the country’s only double World Championship medallist, said, “Women wrestlers have been sexually harassed at national camps by coaches and also the WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan. Some of the coaches appointed at national camps have been sexually harassing women wrestlers for years. The WFI president is also involved in sexual harassment.”
खिलाड़ी आत्मसम्मान चाहता है और पूरी शिद्दत के साथ ओलंपिक और बड़े खेलो के लिए तैयारी करता है लेकिन अगर फेडरेशन उसका साथ ना दे मनोबल टूट जाता है।लेकिन अब हम नही झुकेंगे।अपने अधिकारों के लिए लड़ेंगे।#BoycottWFIPresident#BoycottWrestlingPresident@PMOIndia @narendramodi @AmitShah
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) January 18, 2023
Sharing the dais with Vinesh and endorsing the allegations, India’s lone Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik said, “We have just come to save them. We are fighting for them. When the time comes, we will speak up. We will give the names of those who have been exploited to whoever is doing the probe.”
Following the accusations, Singh told the media: “Is anyone saying that the WFI has sexually harassed a wrestler? Only Vinesh has said it. Has anyone come forward and said that they personally have been sexually harassed? Even if one wrestler comes forward and says that she has been sexually harassed, that day I can be hanged.”
Nearly a dozen wrestlers began their protest against he Wrestling Federation of India’s ‘s high handed way of functioning at Jantar Mantar at 12 noon.
WATCH – pic.twitter.com/4j3VpNV7Sy
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) January 18, 2023
Vinesh gave details of the ways in which national and international wrestlers were allegedly exploited by the WFI chief and coaches. “This exploitation is happening every day. Why does the camp happen in Lucknow? We have written to the PM and the Sports Minister … The reason it’s happening over there is because he has a house there and so it’s easy to exploit the girls. They trouble us too much. They get into our personal lives and relationships. They want to know everything,” she said.
The Haryana wrestler said she fears for her life since she was taking on powerful people.
#Jantar mantar pic.twitter.com/calKOipydH
— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) January 18, 2023
“They have become very powerful. I have spoken today and I don’t know if I will be alive tomorrow because of this. I know about 10-20 girls who have been exploited in the national camp over the past 10 years. Those girls are scared because of their family background. They can’t fight against them because they are not powerful. I can do it because I don’t mind if they stop me from wrestling. I have a house, I have food. I am here because I don’t want the future generations to go through this sadness and pain. We have only wrestling as our livelihood. They are taking away our livelihood. Our only option is to die, so might as well do good and die,” she said.
Others supporting the wrestlers and also protesting against what they called the “dictatorial ways” of the federation were Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, Olympian Anshu and world junior silver medallist Sonam Malik. Bajrang’s wife and national-ranked wrestler Sangeeta Phogat was also present.
खिलाड़ी पूरी मेहनत कर के देश को मेडल दिलाता हैं लेकिन फेडरेशन ने हमें नीचा दिखाने के अलावा कुछ नहीं किया। मनचाहे क़ायदे क़ानून लगा कर खिलाड़ियों को प्रताड़ित किया जा रहा है। #BoycottWFIPresident#BoycottWrestlingPresident@PMOIndia @AmitShah @narendramodi
— Sakshee Malikkh (@SakshiMalik) January 18, 2023
Reacting to the events, Swati Maliwal, chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women, issued a notice against Singh, asking the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Sports Secretary to probe and provide details of the matter.
The day of high-drama had started with the wrestlers sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar. Speaking to The Indian Express, Bajrang said, “When we win medals for India everyone celebrates but after that nobody cares about how we are treated, especially by the federation. If we are promised by the PMO and the Home Minister’s office that our issues will be addressed, then we will stop our protest. Else we will continue protesting. Wrestlers can be treated as ghulams of the Wrestling Federation of India. Today we will talk about the rot in the federation and the tanashahi which has been happening for many years,” he said.
Even Vinesh spoke on the wrongdoings and Singh’s alleged high-handedness. “He mentally tortures me for everything. To get anything (permissions), we have to beg. The assistant secretary also. The kids are giving him gifts (cash, milk, ghee) to get their name into the national camp. Coaches too do the same to get into the national camp.”
She named a person who accompanied the women’s team to Tokyo. “He had no idea of women’s wrestling. He went after paying money. It affected our medal chances as we didn’t have any physio at the Tokyo Olympics,” she said.
With the WFI office, housed in Singh’s MP residence, not too far from Jantar Mantar, Vinod Tomar of the federation walked across to talk to the protesting wrestlers. He left as his attempt at negotiations failed. “WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh asked me to go talk to the protesting wrestlers and tell them that they can come to the WFI office and discuss all issues,” Tomar said while leaving.
By then the media had gathered at Singh’s residence. Facing the biggest crisis of his decade-long unchallenged stint as Indian wrestling’s chief, Singh rejected all allegations.
The MP-turned-administrator is a six-term MP – five as a BJP member and once, in 2009, as the SP candidate. Singh has represented Gonda and Balrampur in the past, and now Kaiserganj. Last year, Singh was in the news for criticising his own government over flood management, saying he had “never seen such poor preparations for flood control and relief” and that citizens had been left “Bhagwan bharose”.
