Anurag Thakur tried to suppress the matter: Vinesh Phogat slams union sports Minister
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New Delhi: India's ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat who has been protesting at the Jantar Mantar here along with others demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, has slammed Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur for not taking any action and suppressing the matter by forming a committee.
Vinesh said it is tough to stand against a powerful person who is misusing his power and position for a very long time. "It is very difficult to stand against a person who is misusing his power and position for so long," she said.
The Olympian revealed that the wrestlers had met an official before they started their protest in Jantar Mantar, for the first time. But no action was taken.
"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," Vinesh said.
"We ended our protest after talking to Union Sports Minister (Anurag Thakur), and all the athletes had told him about the sexual harassment. By forming a committee, he tried to suppress the matter there; no action was taken that time," the wrestler further told reporters.
The wrestlers are protesting over sexual harassment charges against Brij Bhushan, who is also a BJP MP and demanding his arrest.
Brij Bhushan has refused to resign from the wrestling body, saying it would then mean he has accepted the allegations.
"If I resign that means I have accepted their allegations, my tenure is about to end. Till a new party is formed and the government has formed an IOA committee under that committee elections will be held and then my tenure will end," he told the media earlier.
Responding to the WFI chief's remark, Vinesh Phogat said all they wanted was justice.
Wrestler Bajrang Punia addressed the allegations that they are protesting against new rules introduced for the selection for the Olympics.
"He (Brij Bhusan) is saying that we have made some rules for the Olympics and therefore these athletes are protesting; firstly, this is not about the Olympics, this is against sexual harassment. And if I talk about the Olympics rule; the federation will take trails of athletes coming from the Olympics, whoever they want," he said.
The wrestlers' stir has snowballed into a huge political issue, with several opposition leaders expressing solidarity with the athletes and demanding the resignation of the WFI chief who has denied the allegations.
Delhi Police on Friday registered two FIRs against the WFI chief over allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation of female wrestlers.
The BJP MP said 90 percent of Haryana players stand with him while only one wrestling family continues to protest at Jantar Mantar.
Earlier on April 26, the wrestlers held a candle march at Jantar Mantar, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to their 'Mann Ki Baat'.
While talking to the media, wrestler Sakshi Malik said, "We urge PM Modi to listen to our Mann Ki Baat. Even Smriti Irani ji is not listening to us. We are trying to show them the light through this candle march."
Over the last six days, the wrestlers have braved the heat and slept and trained at the protest site near Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
