Anurag Thakur
Anurag Thakur, Union Sports Minister, stated on Friday that everyone wants justice to be delivered to the wrestlers demanding action against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, but it will happen only after following the due process of law.
Thakur’s comments come days after the nation’s top wrestlers vowed to throw their medals into the Ganga river in Haridwar as a form of protest after Singh was accused of sexual harassment.
“The government favours an unbiased investigation…. All of us want justice to be delivered, but it will happen after following the due process,” Thakur said in an interactive session at the India Economic Conclave organised by media.
The minister stated that the Delhi Police is looking into the investigation, which was opened after a government-appointed committee presented a report on the charges made against Singh, a BJP MP.
“There is no question of bias,” Thakur said to suggestions that the delay in action was because Singh was a Lok Sabha member of the ruling party at the Centre.
The minister said the Delhi Police is expected to file a chargesheet in the matter soon.
“All of us are in favour of a speedy investigation,” he added.
Thakur said that the government had complied with all of the wrestlers’ demands, established a panel to look into their accusations against Singh, and urged the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to create a committee of administrators to manage the WFI’s business.
“Be it an athlete or a woman, if any atrocity has been committed, they should get speedy justice,” he said, adding that the incidents the wrestlers have referred to had taken place seven years ago.
Thakur said the wrestlers were told that an FIR could be filed at any police station, but they wanted the intervention of the government.
Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sangeeta Phogat, and other Olympic and World Championship medalist wrestlers are protesting here in order to demand Singh’s arrest for reportedly sexually abusing multiple female wrestlers, including a minor.
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