PT Usha alleges encroachment at athletics school, breaks down on camera

New Delhi: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha alleged that illegal constructions were being carried out at Usha School of Athletics - her academy campus in Kozhikode district. She also claimed that strangers are trespassing on the property and posing a security threat to the inmates.

The athlete broke down before the media while talking about encroachment.

Usha appealed to the Left government of Kerala to intervene and take immediate steps to solve the problem. "Of the 25 women athletes in the Usha schools, 11 were from north India. It is our responsibility to ensure their safety. I submitted a written complaint to the Chief Minister in this regard." She further said the 30-acre land was handed over to her by the Oommen Chandy led-Congress government for 30 years on lease.

She said the local panchayat was not allowing the academy management to construct a compound wall and waste is being dumped on a large scale on the campus. She added that the establishment is facing a threat from the drug mafia too. "An illegal construction was made just in the middle of the campus by someone and when we asked, they said they had the approval of the panchayat authorities for it. The school management also had to suffer rude behaviour when they questioned this encroachment," reported ANI.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, she said the school has been facing harassment for some time and it has intensified after she became a Rajya Sabha member. She was nominated to the Upper House in July 2022 by the BJP.

She added that each political party has been considering her a member of its political rival. "The Congress would say I am a CPI(M) sympathiser while the Marxist party would say I have an affiliation to the BJP. I have no politics and I used to help everyone in all possible ways," said the athlete.