Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 28: India’s top wrestlers have decided to continue their sit-in dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi demanding “immediate arrest” of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, even after the Delhi police told the Supreme Court on Friday that it would register a First Information Report (FIR) against Singh, a BJP Member of Parliament, on the basis of the sexual harassment allegations raised by seven women wrestlers including a minor against him.
“We respect Supreme Court’s order, but we don’t have faith in the Delhi Police. This fight is not for an FIR. This fight is to punish people like him. He needs to be in jail and stripped of his portfolios,” the wrestlers said, after the SC order.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police told the Supreme Court that a case would be filed on Friday itself against the influential chief of India’s wrestling federation. “We have decided to register an FIR. It will be registered today,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the police, informed a Bench of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and P.S. Narasimha. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the wrestlers, however said they were still worried for their lives.
“We are worried on two counts. About our security and safety. We want a Special Task Force (STF). He has 40 cases against him, including that of Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code,” Sibal submitted.
Among the wrestlers who are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, are stars like Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia. They had approached the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing into their request seeking a case against Singh. The Supreme Court had issued notice to Delhi Police on the wrestlers’ request, alleging no case was registered on their charges.
“There are serious allegations made in the petition by wrestlers who have represented India in international games about sexual harassment meted out to them. The matter requires consideration by this court,” said a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. Singh, who had denied the sexual misconduct allegations and indicated he will fight fiercely to prove his innocence on Thursday, released a video on Friday saying he would wish to embrace death the day he feels helpless.
“Friends, the day I introspect on what I gained or lost, and feel that I no longer have the strength to fight; the day I feel helpless, I would wish for death as I won’t be living a life like that. Instead of living such a life, I would wish that death takes me in its embrace,” the accused wrestling body chief said in the video.
The protesting wrestlers have also sought time from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the charges against his party’s MP. “PM Modi sir talks about ‘Beti Bachao’ and ‘Beti Padhao’, and listens to everyone’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Can’t he listen to our ‘mann ki baat’?” Olympian Sakshi Malik said at a recent media inter-action, referring to the PM’s monthly radio programme.
Indian Olympic Association (IOC) chief PT Usha, who on Thursday had criticised the public protest by the wrestlers holding it “amounts to indiscipline,” received flaks for her “insensitive statement” not only from the protesters and other sports persons, but also from a number of political leaders who said the image of the country was not damaged by the protesting wrestlers but by refusing to take action against the guilty forcing the medal-winners for the country to demonstrate on the streets.
To Usha’s statement that the wrestlers should have waited for the report of inquiry committee that is looking into their charges, the protesting wrestlers said they were hurt by Ms Usha’s statement and that they were looking up to her for support. Asian Games medallist Vinesh Phogat alleged she had even dialled her to discuss the matter, but she did not answer her call, hinting she could be “under some kinds of pressure.”
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, who had formed the committee to look into the charges, had said on Thursday that the government stands with the players and he himself spoke to the protesters for 12 hours. The committee submitted its report on April 5, but the ministry is yet to make its findings public.
The wrestlers first took to the streets in January with their charges against Singh and other trainers but withdrew their protest following an assurance by Thakur. They returned to the capital city with fresh protests this week because no action was taken on their charges nor the report of the inquiry committee made public.
In the Supreme Court, the bench headed by CJI directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to undertake a threat assessment exercise and provide adequate security to the minor. The Bench asked the Solicitor General to give a copy of the affidavit to the Delhi Police Commissioner to help him perceive the threats against the minor. The Court ordered the Police Commissioner to maintain the strictest confidentiality as regards the contents of the affidavit.
The Court said it would not “stand in the way” of the Police Commissioner undertaking a similar threat assessment regarding the safety of the other six wrestlers, who are petitioners in the case, and provide them security if required.
The Bench directed the Delhi Police to file an affidavit by the next date of hearing, May 5, detailing the steps taken to protect the petitioners.
Mehta objected to the petitioners’ plea that the Supreme Court should monitor the investigation. “Then this would go in a different direction… We would have to file an affidavit on that point…The moment we found there was a cognisable case, we are going ahead with the registration of FIR,” he said.
Sibal indicated that the police had moved only after the case reached the Supreme Court. A formal complaint was made in January 2023. “Neither the Ministry nor the sports authorities did anything… What was their responsibility to us?” he asked. But the Court said it would not delve into issues like monitoring of the probe or forming an STF at this stage.
“Let us see… It is an evolving situation now… As of now, we are only saying that the case is listed for hearing next Friday. We have not said anything else. Let us see their (police) affidavit first,” Chief Justice Chandrachud observed.
The Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slammed PT Usha for criticising the wrestlers’ public protest pointing out that not the protest but inaction against the guilty does harm to country’s image. “It is does not become you to disparage the justified protests of your fellow sportspersons in the face of repeated & wanton sexual harassment. Their standing up for their rights does not “tarnish the image of the nation”. Ignoring their concerns — instead of hearing them out, investigating them & taking just action – does,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP tweeted.
His remark came a day after PT Usha, a celebrated former athlete and Rajya Sabha member who heads the Indian Olympic Association, strongly criticised the wrestlers’ protest as a “negative approach” that is “tarnishing” the country’s image.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too has backed the wrestlers and called for justice in the matter. “We must all stand with the wrestlers who are protesting. They are speaking in one voice. Our sportspersons are the pride of our nation. They are champions. The guilty must be brought to book, irrespective of their political affiliation. Justice must prevail. Truth must win,” she tweeted.
Her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal will be visiting the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar on Saturday. Two senior leaders from his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi, will go meet them Friday evening.
Another politician, Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Uddhav Thackeray camp, also differed with PT Usha’s remark. “Country’s image is tarnished when we have MPs accused of sexual harassment going scot free while the victims have to struggle for justice. Am sorry Ma’m we must collectively speak up for our sportswomen not accuse them of tarnishing image when they are the ones who won laurels for our country and gave us reasons to be proud,” she tweeted.
Ms Usha’s statement evoked a prompt response from among the protesting wrestlers, who said they were hurt by her comments as they were looking up to her for support.
“PT Usha has been our icon. We felt hurt by what she said. I want to ask her, when her academy was being demolished and she had raised her concerns on social media, then was that not tarnishing India’s image,” Olympian Bajrang Punia asked. They had also written to her to act on the matter.
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra supported the wrestlers with a tweet on Wednesday. “As athletes, we train hard every day to represent our country on the international stage. It is deeply concerning to see our athletes finding it necessary to protest on the streets regarding the allegations of harassment in the Indian wrestling administration,” Bindra tweeted.
“My heart goes out to all those who have been affected. We must ensure that this issue is handled properly, with the athletes’ concerns heard and addressed fairly and independently. This incident highlights the crucial need for a proper safeguarding mechanism that can prevent harassment and ensure justice for those affected. We must work towards creating a safe and secure environment for all athletes to thrive in,” he added.
The protest by the star wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, has seen political leaders making a beeline to their venue after they returned to the streets alleging no action was taken on their charges.
The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced on Monday that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will be forming an ad-hoc committee to conduct the elections for the Executive Committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) within 45 days of its formation, to manage day-to-day affairs of the body, including the selection of athletes and making entries for the participation of players in international events.
This committee will be functioning for an interim period till a new Executive Committee takes charge. In light of the protests by some of the country’s most followed and celebrated grapplers earlier in January, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had announced the formation of an ‘oversight committee’ to probe allegations against the WFI chief and other coaches.
The committee, headed by Olympian MC Mary Kom, was tasked with probing the charges and submitting a report to the ministry. The committee is learnt to have submitted its report but the government is sitting over it.