Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh responded to the protesting wrestlers who gathered in Haridwar...
Digital Desk: Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh responded to the protesting wrestlers who gathered in Haridwar and threatened to throw their medals in the Ganges as an act of protest against him, saying that the allegations against him are already being investigated by the Delhi Police.
The WFI chief, who is facing sexual harassment charges from female wrestlers, stated that the wrestlers' decision to throw their awards into the Ganga was completely personal.
"The matter is being investigated by the Delhi Police. "If the allegations (levelled against him by the wrestlers) are true, an arrest will be made," the WFI chief said.
While the wrestlers reached the holy city on Tuesday to throw their medals in the river Ganges, farmer leader Naresh Tikait convinced them of it.
The wrestlers then gave the authorities a five-day ultimatum to take action against the WFI chief.
"Today, they travelled to Haridwar to immerse their medals in the Ganga. But they later gave them to Tikait. What can we do if it's their stand?" he said.
Olympians Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, who have been seeking the WFI president's removal and arrest over charges of sexual harassment, arrived in Haridwar early on Tuesday to throw their medals in the Ganges.
Earlier, the wrestlers took to Twitter to share a post about current events and how authorities handled the matter.
The protesting wrestlers have stated that they will travel to Haridwar and throw their medals into the Ganga on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
"You saw everything that happened on May 28, how the police treated us, and how they arrested us. We were protesting peacefully when our spot was taken away, and the next day, serious cases and an FIR were filed against us. Have the wrestlers broken any laws by seeking redress for the sexual harassment they experienced? While the tyrant is taking advantage and travelling freely, the police and the system treat us like criminals. Even now, he is openly discussing amending the POSCO Act," the wrestlers said in their post.
"Yesterday, many of our female wrestlers were hiding in the fields. The system should arrest the tyrant, but it is instead breaking and intimidating the victim women in order to end their protest," the protestors said.
They asserted that the medals they received for their country no longer meant anything to them.
"It is not less than death for us to consider returning medals, but how can we live while compromising our self-respect?. These medals are no longer necessary for us. They are preparing to imprison us if we speak out against exploitation," the wrestlers said.
"We're going to throw these medals into the Ganga. Our medals, which we acquired through hard effort, are as sacred as the Ganga. These medals are sacred to the entire country, and the ideal place to put the sacred medal can be holy Ganga, not our impure system, which masquerades us and stands with our oppressor after taking advantage of us. The medal represents our life and soul. "We will go on hunger strike at India Gate until we die," they said in their post.
Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sangeeta Phogat were arrested by Delhi Police on Sunday while attempting to march to the new Parliament building, where they planned to organise a protest.
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