Wrestlers staging protest on streets amounts to indiscipline: IOA President PT Usha

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Thursday said the wrestlers' ongoing protest on the streets amounted to indiscipline. IOA President and former athlete PT Usha said instead of going to the streets the wrestlers could have come to the association. "Indian Olympic Association is having a committee for sexual harassment, instead of going to the streets they (protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier but they didn't come to IOA. It isn't good for Sports not only for wrestlers, they should also have some discipline," she said.

Some wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik have been protesting against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. They have levelled a serious sexual harassment charge against Singh and want his resignation.

However, IOA is extremely unhappy with the wrestlers' protest, India Today reported on Thursday. "There’s consensus amongst members that what wrestlers are doing is spoiling the country’s image and that should not be done. There’s a way to protest and it’s not on the streets. IOA sources emphasise that wrestlers should have come to the athletes' commission and not gone to the streets," sources told IT.

Earlier today, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said the government gave chances to all the protesting wrestlers to present their case before the oversight committee, and reiterated its commitment to an "impartial probe" into the charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

"A few wrestlers are sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar. I have spent 12 hours with them -- seven hours on the first day and five hours the next day (in January). I had listened to all their grievances, held a press conference at 2-2.30 at night, and formed a committee after talking to them," Thakur said.

The minister further said that wrestlers had asked to add a member and gave Babita Phogat's name, and the government added her to the committee. "There is nothing in our mind, we wanted an impartial probe," Thakur said at a press conference. "Whoever wanted to present their version before the oversight committee, was given a chance to do so, there were no restrictions. We even increased the timeline of the probe, there were 14 meetings. Whoever wanted to come, came. We gave a chance to every athlete to present their case."

The wrestlers first demanded action against the WFI chief in January. They again resumed their protest at Jantar Mantar earlier this month, demanding that an FIR be registered and a thorough probe be conducted by police against Sharan, a BJP MP from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh.

"The major findings of the committee were that an impartial election of WFI takes place, and till that time an ad-hoc committee takes over the affairs of WFI, and the elections be held under 45 days. An internal complaints committee be formed to address any mental, or sexual harassment complaint. Not just that we have given the responsibility on IOA to look after all these matters, including selection of teams till the elections are held," he said. "If anyone wants to file an FIR he or she can do that anywhere and it should not matter how old the case may be. Delhi Police said that they will conduct a preliminary inquiry and after that, they will take the next step."

The wrestlers, however, said the police refused to file a case against Singh following which they moved Supreme Court. The SC said the allegations raised by the wrestlers required its consideration and directed that the case be listed for April 28. The Delhi Police told the top court that some kind of preliminary probe was needed before it can proceed with the registration of an FIR.

(With inputs from PTI)