Wrestlers Demand A Woman Federation Chief During Meeting With Anurag Thakur

The wrestlers' protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been through a lot of ups and downs. In a recent development, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur invited them for a discussion regarding their demands on Wednesday.

Wrestlers Meet Anurag Thakur

The wrestlers have been demanding the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief's arrest after sexual harassment allegations against him but have not yet got justice. India's top wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik were manhandled, and even involved in a scuffle with the police who ousted them from their protest site at Jantar Mantar.

A case was registered against them for marching towards the newly built parliament building and breaching security norms. In an attempt to address their problems, Anurag Thakur tweeted late at night on June 6 that the government wants to discuss wrestlers' issues with them and he, as a representative of the government, has invited them over for the same.

Suggested Reading: Did The Minor Wrestler Withdraw Charges Against WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh?

On Wednesday, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia visited Thakur with their demands and grievances which included five major points. The wrestlers once again demanded the arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a BJP MLA, regarding the accusations of sexual harassment by seven female wrestlers, including underage wrestlers, against him.

Their other demands included conducting fair elections for the post of WFI chief and appointment of a female as WFI Chief. They asked the government to not appoint Singh or any of his family as a member of WFI.

On May 29, a police case was filed against the wrestlers for going against security norms. The wrestlers demanded that the police case against them should be removed.

This was the wrestlers' second meeting with the government for discussion on their demands as they previously met Home Minister Amit Shah on the same.

The government has not yet announced its take on the demands, they reportedly don't have anything against their demands except Brij Bhushan Singh's arrest which seemingly is the only point of dispute but also the major purpose of the protest.

Meanwhile, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik have resumed their duty as Railway special officers but their protest is not yet over.