WFI suspension: Ex-chief Brij Bhushan, protesting wrestler Vinesh blame each other

Gonda, UP: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the outgoing WFI president, who is defending himself against allegations of sexual harassment made by female wrestlers, and renowned grappler Vinesh Phogat blamed each other on Saturday for the national federation's suspension by UWW for failing to organise elections within 45 days.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the WFI elections that was to happen on August 12 in response to a plea filed by the Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA).

On Thursday, United World Wrestling (UWW) suspended WFI as a result of which Indian grapplers won't be able to compete at next month's World Championship under the national flag.

It was on Friday that double world championship medallist Vinesh, who spearheaded a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar for more than one month demanding Brij Bhushan's arrest, took to 'X', formerly Twitter, to accuse the outgoing WFI chief for bringing ignominy to the national federation. She also called him a "mafia".

"If one makes correct assessment of the loss of reputation of the WFI due to Bri Bhushan, he will be completely exposed. The national tri-colour has been shamed by a mafia," Vinesh wrote on her social media page.

On Saturday, Brij Bhushan, the BJP MP from UP's Kaisarganj, hurled counter-accusations on Vinesh and her fellow protesters Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia for the suspension of WFI.

"These 'dharnaa jeevi' (protesting) players are responsible for WFI suspension. They are the ones who made a fun of wrestling and wrestlers of the country," he said during a media conference in his hometown.

"Today, the situation is very sad, as for the first time, India has been banned by the UWW since elections could not be conducted. If this problem is not resolved at the earliest, then there will be major loss for India. No wrestler under the banner of India could contest in the Olympics and World Championship," he said.

Brij Bhushan also accused the Haryana Federation of trying to put a spanner on the election procedure.

"Get the voting done in Haryana today itself, and then see who supports whom. I had tried to hold the elections in January, but do you know what all allegations were levelled at me? "After this, the government told me to stay away from wrestling for some days. Again after this, for four times, I tried to conduct the elections, but every time, there was some obstruction or the other," he said.

Brij Bhushan said that the UWW had given a categorical warning that if elections were not held within 45 days, India's membership would be cancelled, and eventually this happened.

He also said that he and his son Karan Singh had stepped aside and no one from his family is contesting the elections.

"All of you know that from UP, I and my son Karan Singh are voters. But, on the demand of the players, I and my son remained out of the election process but even then, the elections could not be held. The results are before the country," he said.

"On being asked by the sports ministry, I have distanced myself from wrestling. Now, neither I nor any member of my family is a part of this (sports). Now, they are demanding that I should leave the citizenship of India, but this is not possible for me." After Brij Bhushan's press conference, Vinesh once again took to the micro-blogging site 'X' to launch a second salvo at her bete noire.

"Brij Bhushan is still controlling the federation and he won't let anyone form an elected body without his interference. The man who has sexually harassed women wrestlers wants control of the federation simply because if any credible person takes over as WFI chief instead of his stooges, then all his misdeeds will be exposed.

"A criminal, who is harming the country for his own selfish reasons and the world knows that. Brij Bhushan is doing this to save himself and also keep his stranglehold on the federation and his ulterior motives will only weaken Indian wrestling," she wrote.

With PTI inputs