Government expresses unhappiness with wrestlers' manners, doubtful to reconstitute oversight committee

The government is unhappy with the wrestlers' behaviour and will not reconstitute the oversight committee formed to probe the sexual harassment charges against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Sports Ministry sources said on Wednesday. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had on Monday announced that a five-member oversight committee, headed by legendary boxer MC Mary Kom, will investigate the charges against the WFI boss and also manage the day-to-day affairs of the sports body. Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sarita Mor and Sakshi Malik, who staged a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for three days, demanding the sacking of the WFI president, voiced dissatisfaction that they were not conferred before the building of the committee.

"The ministry has no plans to reconstitute the oversight committee to probe the allegations against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh. We have formed a fair committee under Mary Kom which will go into the details of the matter," a ministry source told PTI on Wednesday, adding that the government is discontented with the wrestlers' conduct, as they went public with their reservations on the formation of the committee.

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According to sources, the protesting wrestlers regard the London Olympics bronze medallist Yogeshwar close to the WFI president. When Yogeshwar backed the under-fire Sharan, Vinesh expressed he was "sitting on WFI's lap." The wrestlers had taken to Twitter to express their letdown on Tuesday. However, on Wednesday, Bajrang explained that the grapplers don't have an issue with Yogeshwar, but they wished to be conferred before finalising the members.

"We would like to speak with the Sports Minister after the Republic Day celebrations. We don't have any problem with any committee members, but we should have been consulted," Bajrang Punia told PTI. Asked if no names were discussed with them, Bajrang stated, "A discussion had happened, and these names came up, but we were told to come back on the names after the meeting. But the names were announced before we replied in the affirmative. Government should not be unhappy with us. What have we done? We are fighting for justice."

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Apart from Yogeshwar, ex-badminton player and Mission Olympic Cell member Trupti Murgunde, ex-TOPS CEO Rajagopalan and former SAI executive director - teams - Radhica Sreeman are also committee members. Mary Kom and Yogeshwar are also part of the seven-member committee constituted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for probing the sexual harassment allegations and corruption against the WFI president.

Besides legendary boxer Mary Kom and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, the IOA panel encloses archer Dola Banerjee and Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) president and IOA treasurer Sahdev Yadav. The other members of the IOA committee are two advocates -- Talish Ray and Shlok Chandra -- besides former shuttler and IOA joint secretary Alaknanda Ashok, its vice chairperson.

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The agitating wrestlers, including young Anshu Malik, Sangeeta Phogat and Sonam Malik, among others, initiated the sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday and instructed the removal of the WFI chief. The wrestlers accused Sharan, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP), of operating like an oppressor and sexually harassing junior wrestlers. The wrestlers did not disclose the identity of the athletes who fronted sexual harassment.

(With inputs from PTI)