2023 Indian wrestlers' protest

In January 2023, Indian wrestlers began protesting for investigation into allegations of sexual harassment of female wrestlers by BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh during his tenure as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The female wrestler complainants accused Bhushan of groping, touching their breasts and navels without consent, stalking, intimidation, and demanding "sexual favours" in exchange for professional help, all of which led to a "shared sense of fear and trauma" among the women wrestlers. Bhushan has denied all allegations in front of a government appointed committee.

Indian Wrestler's protests
Wrestlers addressing people during the protest
Date18 January 2023 – 15 June 2023
(4 months, 4 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, India
Caused byAllegations of sexual harassment of female wrestlers by the BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
Goals
  • Arrest of the accused
  • Oversight committee's report be made public
  • Dissolution of current Executive Committee of WFI
MethodsDharna (sit-in), Candlelight march
Parties

Wrestling Federation of India


Supporting political parties:

Indian Wrestlers and non-political bodies


Lead figures

Vinesh Phogat
Sakshi Malik
Bajrang Punia
Sangeeta Phogat
Satyawart Kadian
Somvir Rathee

The sit-in protests were organized at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi in January 2023, making the sexual harassment allegations against Bhushan public. After an assurance that the Central Government will form a committee to look into the allegations, the protests were called off in January 2023. The report by the committee was submitted on 5 April 2023 but not made public. The protesters resumed their protest on 23 April 2023, citing inaction by authorities and bias by the committee to favor the accused.

Bhushan belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which leads the Central government and hence oversees the Delhi Police, the law enforcement agency in Delhi. Delhi Police had been accused of inaction and refusing to register a first information report (FIR). The FIRs were registered only after Supreme Court's intervention even though Indian Law mandates immediate registration of an FIR for cognizable offences like sexual harassment. Bhushan was booked under the POCSO act in which all offenses qualify as cognizable.

Many organizations and opposition parties have accused the government of trying to protect Bhushan, a member of the ruling party. The protesting wrestlers have accused the government of building pressure on them to withdraw their cases against Bhushan. The prime minister Narendra Modi and the Union home minister Amit Shah have both been criticized by the opposition parties for being silent on the case, and Sakshi Malik, one of the protesting wrestlers, said she is "hurt" due to Modi's silence.

Several politicians extended their support to the protests and visited the protest site. Many leading athletes also voiced their support. Many farm unions extended support to the protests claiming that the wrestlers come from farming communities.

The WFI's term expired in December 2021, but due to the controversies, elections were not held. This delay ultimately led to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) dissolving the WFI's executive body and appointing an ad-hoc committee to oversee its operations in July 2023. The allegations fueled protests and demands for Brij Bhusan’s removal from the post. As a result, the ad-hoc committee decided to conduct repolls on an urgent basis to ensure a transparent and accountable leadership for the WFI.

International sporting bodies United World Wrestling and International Olympic Committee have condemned the manhandling, arrest and temporary detention of the wrestlers on 28 May 2023, and urged the authorities to investigate the allegations against Bhushan failing which Indian athletes would be forced to participate under a neutral flag.

On 25 June 2023, the protesting wrestlers announced cease their agitation and expressed their intention to pursue the fight through legal means, rather than through public demonstrations.

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