NEW DELHI (AP) — Elite wrestlers who’re demanding the resignation and arrest of India’s wrestling federation president for allegedly sexually harassing younger athletes have suspended their protests after the nation’s sports activities minister promised a swift investigation.

The protesting wrestlers have been staging a protest within the middle of New Delhi for months searching for the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has denied the allegations.

They met with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday. Thakur mentioned the police would file fees by June 15, and that the wrestlers had assured him they might not maintain any protests till then.

India’s federal authorities has additionally promised to carry elections for the highest positions within the wrestling federation by the top of this month. Singh continues to go the federation.

Two Olympic medalists, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, are a part of the protests and have threatened handy again their medals if no motion is taken in opposition to Singh.

Last month, the protest website was cleared and several other wrestlers have been briefly detained as they tried to march to India’s new parliament on the day it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last week, the wrestlers threatened to dump their medals into the Ganges — India’s holiest river – however stopped on the final second. A delegation of protesters additionally met India’s Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence final week.

The protesting wrestlers have accused Singh, a 66-year-old highly effective lawmaker representing the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, of sexually harassing seven younger feminine wrestlers. Singh has referred to as the protests “politically motivated.”

Vinesh Phogat, who has gained wrestling medals on the world championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, claimed in January that a number of coaches have exploited feminine wrestlers on the behest of the WFI president.

Indian police are investigating the allegations in opposition to Singh, and he has been questioned within the case. India’s Supreme Court has additionally acknowledged that the case entails “serious allegations of sexual harassment.”

The protests have discovered assist from India’s opposition events and farmer unions. Most of the Indian wrestlers come from the northern agricultural states of Haryana and Punjab.

The case has once more highlighted the #MeToo motion in India, which picked up tempo in 2018 when a spate of actresses and writers flooded social media with allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

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