Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia rally against Sanjay Singh, aide of Brij Bhushan Singh
Top Indian wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik are allegedly making a last-ditch attempt to prevent Sanjay Singh from succeeding Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as the head of the Wrestling Federation of India. Singh is believed to be an aide of Brij Bhushan.
The six wrestlers, who spent two months at Jantar Mantar protesting Brij Bhushan for allegedly harassing female wrestlers, have endorsed the opposing candidate Sheoran, who is also a witness in the BJP leader's sexual harassment case. The wrestlers met with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur in the morning, and according to a source close to the Bajrang, Vinesh, and Sakshi camp, they expect to meet with Home Minister Amit Shah later in the day.
"The wrestlers are hopeful that the Home Minister could give them time today," said the source on the condition of anonymity.
"Some mediator has given them assurance that after the Parliament session today, the Home Minister could meet them. They (wrestlers) met the Sports Minister in the morning and he apparently told them he will look into the matter," the source added.
"The wrestlers conveyed their misgivings about Sanjay Singh from the Brij Bhushan camp getting elected to the post of president. The wrestlers said that while they had demanded none of Brij Bhushan's relatives should contest the WFI elections, it also implied that none of his close aides should contest the polls.
"And, Sanjay Singh is a close aide of Brij Bhushan. He is probably a business partner of the BJP leader. They have a problem with him becoming WFI chief," the source added.
"In that case, Brij Bhushan's son could have contested... what's the difference?" Following guarantees provided to the wrestlers by the Sports Minister that none of the BJP leader's relatives will be included in the new WFI governing board, Brij Bhushan, his son Karan, and son-in-law Vishal Singh (who is the head of the Bihar wrestling body) are not in the running for any seat.
"The wrestlers shared all these details with the minister. They want Anita Sheoran (a police officer from Haryana who has filed her nomination as a representative of the Odisha unit) to become WFI president and this is what they are going to request the Home Minister if they get to meet him," the source added.
The source declined to reveal the whereabouts of wrestlers who had earlier in the day planned to have a news conference at Rajghat but were forced to abandon the plan since Section 144 had been implemented due to Independence Day preparations in the vicinity.
"If somehow Brij Bhushan can be convinced (that Sanjay Singh should not contest) then the entire matter will get resolved in no time," added the source.
"The wresters have no issues with who becomes the secretary, treasurer, joint secretary or senior vice-president. They only want that Sheoran becomes president." If Sanjay Singh doesn't run, would the wrestlers drop all charges of sexual harassment against the BJP politician, according to a source close to the Brij Bhushan campaign? "Does that (Sanjay Singh not contesting) mean all the cases of sexual harassment will be withdrawn against Brij Bhushan. It is now not possible to pull out of the race. We are confident of winning the WFI elections," the source said.