Wrestlers' Protest News Live: Concerned UWW to appoint observer for WFI elections

Table tennis great and vice-chairperson of IOA's Athletes Commission Achanta Sharath Kamal says the ongoing protests by India's wrestlers has underlined the need for an athletes' body in all National Sports Federations (NSFs).

Bajrang Punia

Former sprinter Usha had come down heavily on the wrestlers for resuming their protest instead of approaching the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for their issues.

PT Usha assures support

Facing criticism from all quarters for being insensitive towards the protesting wrestlers, IOA President PT Usha on Wednesday met them at the protest site and assured the grapplers of her support, saying she was first an athlete and then an administrator.

Previously, Usha had on April 27 said that the wrestlers should have approached the IOA instead of going out in the streets against the WFI and its president, whom the wrestlers accused of sexual harassment and mismanagement of athletes

PT Usha was seen conversing with wrestlers Sakshee Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia at the site

PT Usha meets protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha has finally reached the protest site at Jantar Mantar to meet the wrestlers and assure them of all possible help in their fight for justice against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment from seven women wrestlers, including a minor

SC will hear the matter on May 4. Police had registered FIR on April 28

Hooda accused Delhi Police of "doing nothing" to investigate the charges

SG sought and got permission from the SC to share the sealed cover content with Delhi Police

A bench led by CJI D Y Chandrachud permitted Hooda to bring the sealed cover material on Thursday to court with advance copy to solicitor general Tushar Mehta

Hooda wanted permission to give additional material in a sealed cover to SC on Thursday

Wrestlers' counsel Narender Hooda informs the SC that Delhi police is "doing absolutely nothing" in investigating sexual harassment allegations against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan

Mary Kom has maintained asteadfast silence over the matter

PT Usha had recently criticised the wrestlers for spoiling the image of the country by sitting on dharna

Mary Kom is presently the IOA's Athletes Commission chairperson, apart from being a Rajya Sabha MP from April 2016-2022

PT Usha is a Rajya Sabha member nominated by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government as well as the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) president

Both Bajrang and Sakshee lashed out at celebrated track and field star Usha and six-time world boxing champion Mary Kom for looking at their protest "from the prism of a politician" and not as a country's legendary sportspersons sympathising with their cause

Legends of Indian sport have turned politicians with no empathy for our fight, say Bajrang Punia and Sakshee Malikkh

They had also skipped the Asian Championships in Astana early last month owing to the agitation after their no show at the selection trials conducted by the government-appointed oversight committee

The trio cited the protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as reason for pulling out

Bajrang and Vinesh had last participated internationally at the World wrestling championships in Belgrade in September last year, where the two had won a bronze each

They skipped the previous two editions in Zagreb (February 1-5) and Cairo (February 23-26)

This will be the third instance when the trio will not participate in the United World Wrestling (UWW)-organised ranking series

In a separate development, Bajrang, Vinesh and Sakshee are set to miss another international tournament after they refused to compete at the Ranking Series wrestling event in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from June 1 to 4

On April 28, the Supreme Court had directed the Delhi police to provide security to the seven complainants and protesting wrestlers after carrying out a threat assessment

The development came a day after the Delhi police provided security to all seven women wrestlers, including a minor, who have lodged an FIR against Singh at the Connaught Place police station, demanding that Singh, a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj, against whom charges of sexual harassment have been levelled, be immediately arrested and put behind the bars to ensure a fair investigation into the allegations

The PSOs visited them on Sunday as part of their security detail but were politely told by the wrestlers to leave Jantar Mantar, where they have been protesting since April 23

It's been learnt that Bajrang was provided with two PSOs, Vinesh and Sakshee with one each

Wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Malik turned down the security cover offer after they were provided with personal security officers (PSOs) on Sunday night by the concerned area's Assistant Commissioner of Police

"We respect the players a lot. FIR has been registered, whatever the truth is, justice will be served. This issue is related to athletes, it should not be politicised," says BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on wrestlers' protest.

I had submitted an audio clip to the committee in which Bajrang Punia was asking a person to arrange a girl. And now after three months they arranged it and came up with a fresh allegation: WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

I don't know the (minor) girl who has levelled allegations against me. The minor girl didn't even testify before the oversight committee formed to investigate the matter: WFI chief

Persistent drizzle disrupted the wrestlers' protest on Monday and caused a bit of chaos even as more support poured in for the athletes with former India cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu demanding "custodial interrogation" of WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Monday expressed its solidarity with the Indian wrestlers staging a dharna at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexual harassment and intimidation.

The Dravidian major's parliamentarian M M Abdulla met the protesting wrestlers and expressed the DMK's support, said DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin.

I am not their target, the party (BJP) is their target, these athletes are paid: Singh

Forces involved in 'Tukde Tukde gang', Shaheen Bagh, 'Kisaan Andolan' seem to be involved in it (wrestlers' protest): WFI chief

If my party asks me to resign, I will resign: WFI chief & BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh

Unity is power and can shake any government, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah told his party workers on Monday as he lauded wrestlers protesting in Delhi over sexual harassment allegations against the Wrestling Federation of India president.