With Brij Bhushan’s son elected UP wrestling president and his loyalist back as WFI chief, wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik threaten protest

“Just 2-3 days back, Brij Bhushan’s son became the president of the UP wrestling body despite him saying no one from his family will come into wrestling administration. The government had promised that Brij Bhushan or his relatives or associates will not govern the sport,” Bajrang said in a video posted on Instagram.

The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist requested the government to take a decision quickly, else they will be forced to start the protests again. “I request the government to take a quick decision. Even though the IOA (ministry) has suspended the WFI, the WFI conducted its nationals in Pune, elections are happening in states… The WFI thinks it is bigger than the government. We wrestlers will talk to all those who support us — farmer groups, khap panchayats, labour unions and women organisations — and make a decision in the next two to three days. I request the government not to force us to start the protests again,” Bajrang said.

Brij Bhushan faces charges of sexual harassment levelled by six women wrestlers. Sakshi and Bajrang, along with Vinesh Phogat, a two-time world championship medalist, had led protests demanding his arrest last year.

The protests were called off after a meeting with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur during which the government assured them that nobody from Brij Bhushan’s family would contest the WFI elections.

Three days after the WFI elections on December 21, the Sports Ministry suspended the newly-elected committee of the governing body. The reason for the action was the conduct of Brij Bhushan immediately after the election results were announced.

Sharing details of the action, a ministry official had said that despite formation of the new committee, WFI affairs were being conducted from Brij Bhushan’s premises “wherein sexual harassment of players has been alleged”, and that he “appears to be in complete control”.
On Wednesday, Sakshi also said that if those close to Brij Bhushan were allowed to run the WFI, she would hit the streets again. “Sanjay Singh has done some setting with the UWW and got the suspension lifted. I have retired from wrestling but I won’t allow Brij Bushan and his people to run the federation and also trouble women wrestlers. In the next few days, we will talk to everyone who was involved in the protest and decide the future course of action. I request the government to remove people connected to Brij Bhushan from the WFI and place someone who is clean and capable at the top,” she said in a video posted on X.

WFI treasurer Satyapal Deshwal, the observer for the UP association polls, told The Indian Express, “There was a returning officer at the elections. Karan was the only candidate for the president’s post. All 15 office-bearers were elected unopposed. There is nothing that stops Karan from contesting elections for the state association. Because he is UP wrestling president, it does not mean he will be involved in the day-to-day functioning of the WFI.”

Deshwal claimed that Brij Bhushan was not present at the venue of the elections — a college hall in Nawabganj. “Brij Bhushan has taken sanyas (retirement) from wrestling. He is no longer associated with UP wrestling or the WFI. There were no issues with the WFI election process. So wrestlers should have no reason to protest again. I welcome all wrestlers, including the wrestlers who protested, to appear for trials and promise there will be no discrimination. The WFI will ensure that wrestlers have no reason to complain in the future,” he said.