Haryana wrestling body suspends three officials over involvement in wrestlers protest

Due to their alleged participation in the protest in Delhi against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association (HAWA) has suspended the secretaries of three connected district units. In a letter, HAWA President Rohtash Singh suspended Virender Singh Dalal of Jhajjar, Sanjay Singh Malik of Hisar, and Jai Bhagwan of Mewat for what he called their "unethical" participation in the ongoing wrestling protest in the nation's capital.

"All three are still continuing their activities with the protesters," the head of HAWA claimed, "which is purely unethical and is against the objectives, rules, and regulations of the WFI as well as HAWA." However, Rohtash's decision exposed the divisions that have developed within the WFI-affiliated HAWA, with its general secretary Rakesh Singh criticising the suspension of the district officials as a poor judgment. According to Rakesh, the HAWA president has no power to suspend them. He asserted that the grounds on which they (the three district officials) were suspended were false and deceptive.

Before the suspension

Ajay Singh Dhanda and Jai Bhagwan Lathar, the directors of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Wrestling Academy in the Hisar district village of Mirchpur, had already been prohibited by another order that Rohtash had issued. The academy and both managers, according to the president, have been suspended immediately for allegedly taking part in anti-HAWA and WFI actions.

Since April 23, several wrestlers have been protesting in Jantar Mantar in Delhi, accusing WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, an MP for the Bharatiya Janata Party from Uttar Pradesh, of sexual harassment. The demonstrators want Singh to face criminal charges for allegedly harassing and intimidating seven female wrestlers, including a minor, with sexual advances. On April 28, the Delhi Police lodged two FIRs against the WFI president. The wrestlers, however, demanded that he be arrested.

The ongoing protests have so far received a polarising reaction from sportsmen around the country. While many athletes including the Olympic Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra has sided with protesters, some have also criticised the approach taken by the Wrestlers. While the wrestlers protesting are adamant that they will not leave the place until justice gets served, In the meanwhile clashes have also broken out between Wrestlers and Police.