The wrestlers who accused Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and intimidation have rued that the government did not consult them before forming the oversight committee that will probe charges against the sports administrator.
Sports minister AnuragThakur announced on Monday that a five-member oversight committee, headed by 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 SakshiMalik, who staged a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar for three days demanding the sacking of the WFI president, posted identical tweets expressing their dismay. “We were assured that we will be consulted before the formation of the oversight committee. It’s really sad that we were not consulted,” the wrestlers tweeted and tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and Thakur.
World Championship bronze medallist Geeta Phogat, too, requested the PM to intervene and help resolve the matter. “I request the Honourable Prime Minister of the country, all the sisters and daughters of our country are looking towards you with great hopes and expectations. If we all sisters and daughters do not get justice, then it will be a great misfortune in the history of the country,” Geeta tweeted.
The oversight committee has former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, ex-badminton player and Mission Olympic Cell member Trupti Murgunde, exTOPS CEO Rajagopalan and former SAI executive director, teams, Radhica Sreeman as the other members.