The Sports Ministry of India has suspended the newly-formed Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) body led by Sanjay Singh, who is a close aide of BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Sanjay Singh was elected the new president of the wrestling body on Thursday (December 21, 2023).
Sanjay Singh won 40 out of 47 votes in a sweeping victory over Anita Sheoran, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist who was backed by top wrestlers after she had taken to the streets earlier over sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan.
Sanjay Singh had earlier served as vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh wrestling body. He was part of the WFI’s last executive council and its joint secretary since 2019.
The decision was taken over ‘hasty’ announcements of national competitions and the sports ministry said that the move was made without ‘following the provisions of the constitution of WFI’.
“Such decisions are to be taken by Executive Committee, before which agendas are required to be placed for consideration. As per Article XI of the WFI constitution under the Heading ‘Notices and Quorum for Meetings’, minimum notice period for EC meeting is 15 clear days and quorum is of 1/3rd of representatives. Even for Emergency EC meeting, minimum notice period is 7 clear days with quorum requirement of 1/3rd of representatives,” the Sports Ministry said in a press release.
In the release, the Sports Ministry alleged that the newly-formed body seems to be completely in control of previous office bearers against whom allegations of sexual harassment were made.
“Newly elected body appears to be in complete control of former office bearers in complete disregard to the Sports Code,” the ministry said in the press release.
“The business of the Federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers. Which is also alleged premises wherein sexual harassment of the players have been alleged and present the court is hearing the matter,” it said.
This comes after Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia Friday said he will return his Padma Shri award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Singh’s election to the top post of the body.
A day before that Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik hung up her boots to protest against the election.
Earlier this year, the wrestlers officially ended their protest on June 7, after the Sports Minister assured them none of the family members or close associates of Brij Bhushan would be allowed to enter the WFI election.
