Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently met with a group of wrestlers in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, where he discussed the sexual harassment allegations against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the matter of sportspersons returning their awards.
Gandhi shared a video of the interactions on Twitter. In the video, top Indian wrestlers like Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat explain their issues with the WFI and the decision to return national awards like the Padma Shri and Arjuna Award.
Punia said that if women wrestlers are not safe in the sport, what is the meaning of keeping awards? He announced returning his Padma Shri last week to protest the election of Brij Bhushan loyalist Sanjay Singh as WFI president. Other wrestlers like Phogat have followed suit.
अब होगा ‘न्याय का दंगल’!
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 28, 2023
भारत की होनहार बेटियों के साथ दुर्व्यवहार, देश का गौरव बढ़ाने वाले खिलाड़ियों को धोखा – BJP क्या ये विरासत दे रही है देश को।
स्वाभिमान और सम्मान – भारत के पहलवानों की बस इतनी सी मांग है। pic.twitter.com/pFveDY6bb9
The grapplers said their voice against Brij Bhushan’s alleged sexual exploitation had been raised earlier too in 2012 and 2014, but no action was taken. They credited the courage of the victim women wrestlers for bringing the issue to light now.
Gandhi also tried his hand briefly at the sport during his visit to the wrestling arena. Sharing a video of the interactions, he tweeted that the wrestlers only asked for dignity, respect, and safety from sexual harassment.
The meeting comes at a time when Brij Bhushan is facing calls to step down as WFI chief over sexual harassment allegations leveled by top women wrestlers like Phogat. The wrestlers who met Gandhi urged the removal of Sanjay Singh from the federation’s presidency to ensure a secure future.
The Congress leader has extended his party’s full support to the grapplers in their fight for justice. The government and concerned sporting authorities are also under pressure to investigate the sexual exploitation charges and take appropriate action swiftly.
