Wrestlers protesting against WFI president gain support from khaps, families and Opposition parties

Family members of the wrestlers also said they will go to Delhi to support their children in this struggle. Renowned wrestler and BJP leader Babita Phogat, who is in Delhi, supported her cousin Vinesh Phogat. While talking to the media after meeting the wrestlers, Babita said, “I have assured them that the government is with them. I will try that their issues are resolved today”.

Babita’s father Dronacharya awardee Mahavir Phogat, who condemned the WFI’s president’s questionable role, and brother Harvinder are also in Delhi.

Khattar assures support

As the protest by the renowned wrestlers gained momentum and the Haryana government came under criticism from Opposition parties, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said they will “fully take care of our sportspersons, our daughters”.

“The issue has come to our notice and the Union government’s sports minister has taken note of it. The Wrestling Federation of India has been asked to give its reply in the next 72 hours. All the issues [raised by wrestlers] have been taken into serious consideration. I am sure the Union government and sports ministry shall definitely take cognisance of it. All these issues are very serious. Especially for the sportspersons for whom we do lots of work to encourage them, such things break their morale. We shall not allow their morale to get shattered,” Khattar said.

“We [the state government of Haryana] did not receive any such complaint from any of them. It is only after they protested, we learnt of this issue. I had some engagements yesterday and when I returned last night, I came to know of it. If anything is referred to us from the Union government’s side on this issue, we shall take immediate cognisance of it. As per the general information that we have received so far, we shall definitely ensure adequate security of our sportspersons,” he added.

Opposition attacks

Before Khattar’s comments, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other senior Congress leaders had questioned the government’s silence over the issue.

“The state government should also see that the majority of these sportspersons who are sitting on protest are from Haryana. It is the duty and responsibility of the state government to raise their issues. Rather, the state government has adopted complete silence whenever such issues of sexual harassment are raised, be it on its former sports minister Sandeep Singh or now the WFI president,” Hooda, Haryana’s former chief minister, said.

“It is extremely shameful that the sportspersons who are the honour of our nation are sitting on the roads today. The accusations levelled at the Wrestling Federation of India’s president are extremely serious. A fair and impartial probe should be conducted. The sportspersons are being forced to protest on the roads. The WFI president should immediately be removed and made to face the probe on all the accusations levelled by the wrestlers,” he said.

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana Deepender Hooda demanded a judicial probe into the accusations being levelled by the wrestlers against WFI’s president.

“A government is considered to be the guardian of a sportsperson. But, the Haryana government’s silence on such a serious issue is definitely surprising and disturbing. These sportspersons, who bring laurels to our nation, are children of our soil. How can the BJP-JJP coalition government remain silent after seeing such injustice being met out to them?” asked Surjewala.

Another Congress leader from Haryana and Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan Randeep Surjewala also slammed the BJP government and said, “The Prime Minister’s scary truth behind Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’s slogan has come out in the open”.

Surjewala also questioned why the Union government was not listening to the wrestlers. “Was it because the accusations are being levelled at a BJP Member of Parliament?” he asked.

Haryana Aam Aadmi Party leader Anurag Dhanda also condemned the incident and said his party was standing firm with the sportspersons. He said, “The AAP salutes the courage shown by Vinesh Phogat”.

Khattar took over the sports portfolio after his cabinet colleague Sandeep Singh faced similar sexual harassment accusations from a woman coach. In an apparent defence of Sandeep Singh, Khattar had earlier said that “allegations don’t make one guilty”.