As wrestlers mount pressure, WFI chairman says ‘will expose conspiracy’ today
Facing allegations of sexually exploiting women wrestlers, BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chairman Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said he will expose the “political conspiracy” to “play with the dignity of women wrestlers” on Friday noon.
Singh will hold a press conference at the Wrestling Training Centre in Nawabganj in Gonda district, the Lok Sabha member from Kaiserganj said in a Facebook post.
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat accused Singh of sexually exploiting women wrestlers for years, a charge vehemently rejected by the sports administrator. The 28-year-old though clarified that she herself never faced such exploitation but claimed that “one victim” was present at the ‘dharna’ they began at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.
The unprecedented revolt by India’s top wrestlers against the WFI president gathered momentum on Thursday as Tokyo Olympics silver-medallist Ravi Dahiya joined the sit-in at Jantar Mantar. The protesting wrestlers said they wanted action, not words, from the Union government, and that they were prepared to lodge a police complaint over the alleged sexual harassment and mental torture of women wrestlers by the WFI chief.
“The allegations of sexual exploitation are true. Don’t force us to reveal names or else it will be a black day not only for wrestlers but for the women of India. There are girls who are ready to talk, and if it comes to that, we are ready to file an FIR against the WFI chief. We have every proof,” Vinesh said during the sit-in earlier on Thursday.
Vinesh also claimed that she had received death threats at the behest of WFI president from officials close to him because she dared to draw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention to several issues plaguing Indian wrestling when she met him after the Tokyo Games.
Singh rejected all the charges against him and refused to quit his post.
“There is no truth in any of the allegations. Why should I quit? Even if one woman wrestler comes and proves the sexual harassment charge, I am ready to be hanged. There is an industrialist behind it (conspiracy),” said the 66-year-old WFI President, adding that he was open to an investigation by the CBI or police.