Amid WFI row, Rahul Gandhi meets Bajrang Punia, others: ‘these are steadfast, honest people’

NEW DELHI, Dec 27
Days after several wrestlers returned their awards to protest the election of Sanjay Singh, a close aide of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi met Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and other grapplers at Haryana’s Jhajjar on Wednesday morning. Last Friday, Bajrang Punia had returned his Padma Shri to protest the election of Singh. After announcing his decision on X, the Olympic medal-winning wrestler reached Kartavya Path in the evening and kept his Padma Shri medal on a footpath. Later, it was picked up by police personnel. Punia was one of the wrestlers who had protested against Brij Bhushan, the former WFI chief accused of sexual harassment by at least 12 women wrestlers. Following this, he posted on X, “With years of relentless hard work, patience, and unparalleled discipline, an athlete brings medals for his country by nurturing the soil with his blood and sweat… There is just one question – if these athletes leave their training grounds and if India’s daughters have to fight for their rights and justice on the streets, who will encourage their children to choose this path?” “These are steadfast, honest, and straightforward people from a farming family; let’s give them the opportunity to serve the Tricolour. Let’s elevate their status with full respect and honour, making them a pride of India,” he said in the post in Hindi. The Indian National Congress also posted regarding Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with the wrestlers on its official account on X. Congress MLA from Jhajjar’s Badli Kuldeep Vats said Gandhi’s visit was not planned and they were not aware of it. “Around 6.30 am, he visited the akhada and talked to the wrestlers about how their practice was going. They spoke about assistance from the government, the challenges they face and their exercise regimen. He also had breakfast and wrestled with them,” he added. This comes five days after Rohtak Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda met with Sakshi Malik and Punia along with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi at the wrestlers’ Delhi residence “to extend support to their fight for justice”.
Sanjay Singh was elected as the WFI president after the polls to choose the office-bearers of the federation were held last week. After winning the elections, Singh had taken a jab at some of India’s top wrestlers like Punia, Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, and world championship medallist Vinesh Phogat who had protested against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The protesting wrestlers levelled serious allegations against Brij Bhushan, including sexual assault. In June this year, the Delhi Police had filed a 1,500-page chargesheet against Brij Bhushan for alleged sexual harassment, assault, and stalking of six women wrestlers. On her part, Sakshi Malik has announced she will quit the sport to protest the election of Singh. On Tuesday, Vinesh Phogat, in a strongly-worded open letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced that she was returning the country’s highest sporting honour, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, along with her Arjuna Award.
Following the outrage, the Union Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the newly-elected committee of the WFI governing body.
Sharing details of the action, a ministry official said that despite the formation of the new committee, WFI affairs were being conducted from Brij Bhushan’s premises “wherein sexual harassment of players has been alleged”, and that he “appears to be in complete control”.