Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, Prominent Wrestlers, End Protest; Pledge to Pursue Legal Action Against Wrestling Federation Chief in Sexual Harassment Case.
Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, in line with their stance, have also decided to take a temporary break from social media platforms. On Sunday, Malik took to Twitter to convey that the legal battle for justice will be fought in court, rather than on the streets.
Both wrestlers shared similar tweets yesterday, emphasizing that the government has fulfilled its commitment to file a chargesheet against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former WFI chief and a six-time BJP MP.
“The government has addressed our demands, as per the discussions held on June 7. On June 15, the Delhi Police submitted the chargesheet in court, following a thorough investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, based on the FIR lodged by six women wrestlers. From now on, the fight for justice will continue in the courtroom, not on the streets,” the tweet posted by the three prominent grapplers stated.
Additionally, they expressed their intention to await the upcoming Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, which are scheduled to occur on July 11, as per the government’s promise.
“The process for the fresh Wrestling Federation of India election has been initiated, and the polls are set to take place on July 11, as assured by the government. We will patiently await the fulfillment of this promise,” stated the wrestlers.
Since the beginning of the year, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat have been at the forefront of protests against Singh, alleging sexual harassment. Following their eviction from the Jantar Mantar protest site on May 28, the wrestlers temporarily halted their protest until June 15, after receiving assurance from Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur that a chargesheet would be filed against BJP MP Singh.
According to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the WFI elections, initially scheduled for July 6, have now been postponed to July 11.
The upcoming polls will determine the members of the executive committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). According to a letter from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the positions to be decided include the president, senior vice-president, four vice presidents, secretary general, treasurer, two joint secretaries, and five executive members.
The deadline for receiving nominations from the electoral college is June 25, by 5:00 PM. Each State/Union Territory will nominate two individuals from their respective associations to form the electoral college for the WFI’s executive committee.
Furthermore, the letter states that the preparation and display of the electoral college, along with its circulation to affiliated entities and publication on the websites of the IOA and WFI, will be carried out on June 28.
The nomination process for the election will take place from June 29 to July 1, between 11 AM and 5 PM. The received nominations will be prepared and displayed by the returning officers on July 3, before 1 PM.
Furthermore, the scrutiny of nomination papers will occur on July 4, starting at 11 AM. Candidates will have the opportunity to withdraw their nominations between July 4 and July 7, until 5 PM. On July 8, a final list of candidates will be compiled by 11 AM, as stated in the letter.
The polling is scheduled for July 11, commencing at 11 AM and concluding at 1:20 PM. The counting of votes will commence at 1:30 PM, and the results will be declared on the same day.
