Indian Wrestlers Pause Protest Amid WFI Chief Probe

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Facts

  • Several prominent Indian wrestlers have postponed their protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), for his alleged sexual abuse of female wrestlers after India’s sports ministry promised to complete its investigation by June 15.1
  • The wrestlers met with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday for six hours to avoid a protest in which Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and championship wrestler Vinesh Phoga would throw their medals in a river.2
  • Protests demanding Singh’s arrest in New Delhi’s center have been ongoing, and several wrestlers were detained last month after authorities cleared the site while they protested during the inauguration of India’s new parliament.3
  • Protests began and paused in January after the sports ministry revoked Singh’s administrative power but resumed in April when the wrestlers demanded Singh’s arrest. Videos of protesters being arrested last month added fuel to criticism of India’s handling of the situation.4
  • However, all charges against the detained protesters have been dropped. Thakur also promised that neither Singh nor his associates would be allowed to participate in this month’s WFI elections.5
  • Singh is accused of sexually assaulting seven female athletes – including a minor – and using his position to silence and punish those who spoke out. Singh denies all allegations and says they’re politically motivated, as he is a member of PM Narendra Modi’s party.1

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2Reuters, 3Associated Press, 4BBC News, and 5The Indian Express.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Scroll.in. As if the jarring allegations of Singh's sexual abuse weren’t devastating enough, the Indian government’s lack of a response is a glaring example of Modi’s corruption. The evidence against Singh is overwhelming, yet there hasn’t been a good-faith investigation, never mind an arrest. Maybe the bravery of these wrestlers has finally forced some government action.
  • Narrative B, as provided by OpIndia. There are obvious reasons these accusations against Singh could be politically motivated, which is why the legal process must play out. Indian police are working diligently to investigate the situation and will release its report next week. Only then can a final judgment be made.