Vinesh Phogat, an Asian Games gold medalist wrestler, tweeted on Thursday about her concerns for justice for daughters in an “atmosphere of fear and intimidation”. Her tweet came after a ‘minor’ wrestler withdrew sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the outgoing president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The minor wrestler’s father claimed that he had made the allegations to settle a score with Singh, whom he blamed for his daughter’s defeat in trials for the Under 17 Asian Championships.
Vinesh, along with fellow Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Punia, had accused Singh of sexual exploitation against female wrestlers, including a minor. On Wednesday, the protesting wrestlers suspended their protest for a week after the government asked them to wait until the police completes its investigation into the allegations by June 15. The government also promised to withdraw FIRs filed against the protesters.
The wrestlers had been booked for violating law and order on May 28 when they marched towards the new Parliament building without permission to hold a ‘Mahila Samman Mahapachayat’. Vinesh tweeted her hope that the daughters involved in the case would not lose courage due to the delay in their fight for justice.
