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Top Indian wrestlers, together with Olympians and Commonwealth Games champions, have been on the streets of New Delhi on Monday to demand the arrest of the game’s former federation chief over allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation.
The wrestlers, each women and men, mounted protests in January demanding an investigation into then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The Indian Olympic Association fashioned a panel to analyze, however the athletes say there was inadequate motion since then.
“Some people manipulated our minds and damaged our protest,” Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik informed reporters on the protest on Monday.
“Now we will not repeat that. Now we appeal to all the sportspersons, political parties and elders of the wrestling world join us.”
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The athletes, together with an underage wrestler, filed a criticism with police on Friday demanding a case of sexual assault be registered towards Singh and their allegations correctly investigated.
Police haven’t registered a case towards Singh up to now.
“If it goes on like this it obviously breaks the athletes’ spirit,” Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, who’s male, informed AFP on the protest.
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Both Malik and Punia stated the protest would proceed till Singh, an MP for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, was arrested.
He has denied the allegations, saying they have been a conspiracy to interchange him within the legislature.
Singh “is a powerful parliamentarian of the ruling party”, stated Punia.
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“The athletes are fearful for their lives but despite that they have shown courage and still no action is being taken. This is very saddening.”
Broadcaster NDTV reported that the federal government was to disband the WFI and hand its affairs to a brand new panel to carry board elections, the place Singh wouldn’t be allowed to face.
Last 12 months India’s nationwide biking crew coach was sacked following sexual harassment costs.
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India is a deeply hierarchical society, and a few wrestlers say they have been earlier intimidated into not coming ahead due to their humble origins.
India’s #MeToo motion gathered momentum in 2018 after a Bollywood actress accused a senior actor of sexual harassment.
Soon after, different ladies got here ahead with a number of allegations, together with towards a former authorities minister, however activists say there was little basic change.
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