Indian Wrestlers started protest against BJP MP Brij Bushan Sharan Singh into the allegations of sexual harrasment of female wrestlers.
Sharan Singh has been accused of touching breasts and navels without consent, stalking, harrassing several female athletes and demanding sexual favours in exchange for professional help.
All these has led to a 'Shared sense of fear and trauma' among the women wrestlers.
Bushan didn't accept all the allegations in front of government appointed committee. Athletes used to camp at Jantar Mantar protest site New Delhi.
The protesting athletes demanding for an immediate arrest which direct the police to register a case against Bushan(66 year old Sharan Singh).
Central government formed a committee to look after the allegations and the report was submitted on 5 April 2023 , then athletes called off the protest but it was not made publically so that the protestors resumed their protest on 23 April 2023, due to biasing by the committee to favour the accused and authorities.
Bushan belongs to BJP and hence take care of Delhi police, the law of enforcement agency in Delhi.
Delhi police bas been accused of inaction and refused to register an FIR.
Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, Olympic bronze medalist first took to the streets of New Delhi in protest against Bushan on 18 January. They accused him for harrassing female athletes.
Commonwealth games women gold medalist Vinesh Phogat said coaches and the president of Wrestling federation of India have sexually harrassed several women.
The 28 year old athlete said,
"Women Wrestlers have been sexually harrassed at national camps by coaches and also the WFI president."
She told reporters, " I know atleast 10 to 20 girls in the national camp who have come and told me the stories."
Malik said, " The report by the oversight committee was not made public and we have reason to believe the culprits got a clean chit."
Anurag Thakur, Indian sports minister has been criticised by the athletes for trying to suppress the issue by forming an inquiry committee which did not take any action against Singh. The Prime Minister Modi, who ran a campaign to boost female empowerment has also criticised for keeping the issue quite.
The government promised to complete the inquiry against this within four weeks. The inquiry report was completed in April but the findings were not made public. The police had not filed case against Sharan Singh so that the athletes resumed the protest against him.
The wrestlers has supported from other sports leading Indian athletes as well as leaders of the country's main opposition party.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the leader of India's opposition Congress Party demanded an investigation into the allegations.
She tweeted that our players are the pride of our country. They bring laurels to the country by their performance at the world level. The players have made serious allegations of exploitation against the Wrestling federation and its president and their voices should be heard.
Sania Mirza, the Tennis star said the Saga was "too difficult to watch" for her "as an athelete but more as a woman"and said she hoped justice is served, sooner rather than later.
— Team Yuva Aaveg
(Avantika)
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ReplyDeleteGood attempt to spit facts
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