Protesting Wrestlers To Announce Next Step As Their 15-Day Ultimatum To Centre Ends Today

The protesting wrestlers on May 9 gave a 15-day ultimatum to the Centre to look into their demands and come out with a solution failing which a big decision will be taken by them.

Star wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik

Source : PTI File Photo

After a long-standing impasse between the Wrestling Federation of India and protesting wrestlers, the wrestlers are set to announce their next move on Sunday. On May 9, the star wrestlers gave an ultimatum to the Centre till today to look into their demands and come out with a solution failing which a big decision will be taken by them.

Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, as well as Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar since April 23 demanding action against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment charges. 

Several organisations, including farmers, have come out in support of the protesting wrestlers. Several farmers broke through police barricades on earlier this month to join the protest at Jantar Mantar. 

The protestors had said that they will take their "agitation global" by approaching Olympic medalists and athletes from other countries and reiterated the "big call" if no action is taken against Singh by May 21. 

In the last week of April, the Delhi Police had registered two FIRs in connection with the sexual harassment allegations levelled by women wrestlers against Singh. The first FIR pertains to allegations levelled by a minor which has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning outraging modesty, according to a police officer, as per a PTI report.

The second FIR has been registered for carrying out comprehensive investigations into the complaints by adult complainants under relevant IPC sections pertaining to outraging of modesty, the officer said, adding investigation into both the FIRs was being taken up in right earnest.

The wrestling protestors had been at loggerheads with Union sports minister Anurag Thakur as well alleging that he tried to hush up the complaints regarding sexual harassment by forming an oversight committee instead of taking concrete action.

The wrestlers had earlier staged a protest in January but later called it off after being assured that the government would probe the matter and a five-member panel was formed to look into the allegations of sexual harassment against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.