Wrestlers' Protest: IOA Chief PT Usha Meets Athletes Days After 'Indiscipline' Remark; Bajrang Punia Reacts

DAYS after her "indiscipline" remark, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha on Wednesday met with wrestlers who have been sitting in a protest demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Bhusan has been facing sexual harassment charges levelled by women wrestlers.

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Recently, Usha had said the wrestlers should have approached the IOA instead of going out in the streets against the WFI and its president. The former athletes arrived at Jantar Mantar in the national capital today where top grapplers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and others have been protesting against Bhushan.

Soon after PT Usha left Jantar Mantar, Wrestler Bajrang Punia said she has given assurance that they will get justice. Adding he said, the IOA president has assured us to resolve this issue as soon as possible. 

"She (PT Usha) said that she is standing with us and will get us justice and that she is an athlete first and then anything else. She said that she will look into our issue and resolve it as early as possible. We will remain here till Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh goes to jail," said Punia, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Amid ongoing protest against the WFI chief, India'a ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat accused Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur of not taking any action and suppressing the matter by forming a committee.

"Three-Four months before we sat at Jantar Mantar, we had met an official, we had told him everything about how women athletes are sexually harassed and mentally tortured when no action was taken, then we sat on Dharna," said Vinesh.

Following the MeToo row, Delhi Police on Friday registered two FIRs against the WFI chief over allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation of female wrestlers by him. Bhusan criticised the wrestlers and said 90 per cent of Haryana players stand with him while only one wrestling family is protesting at Jantar Mantar.

Talking about his resignation, Bhusan said if he resigns from his post it would mean that he has accepted the allegations. However, the WFI chief on Monday said he would resign if his party ask to do.