Five demands of wrestlers at key meet with Union min Anurag Thakur

Hyderabad: A crucial meeting was held between the top wrestlers, led by Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, and Union sports minister Anurag Thakur at his residence on Wednesday morning as the government continued its effort to strike a deal with the protesting grapplers, who are demanding arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The meeting was called by Thakur to break the deadlock as the wrestlers have been adamant that they will continue their agitation till Singh, who they have accused of sexual harassment, is arrested.

Punia, Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik and her wrestler husband Satyawart Kadiyan, were a part of the meeting at the minister’s house.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, who has been supporting the wrestlers in their protest, was not a part of today’s meet.

The wrestlers in their meet put forth five demands to the sports minister which are as follows:

• Free and fair elections to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) with the removal of corruption-accused leaders and better management.
• A woman be made the head of the wrestling body.
• They demanded that Brij Bhushan and his family be kept away from the wrestling body and its elections.
• They demanded that the FIR against them for violation of law and order, after a brawl with the police amid their march towards the new Parliament house on the day of its inauguration, be revoked.
• The wrestlers stressed on their primary demand that the accused and outgoing WFI president be arrested on the charges against him.

The wrestlers resumed their protest against Singh and the national federation on April 23 at Jantar Mantar.

They were removed from the protest site on May 28 when the police detained them for violating law and order after they began their march to the new Parliament building without permission.

It is the second round of meetings between the government and protesting wrestlers in a space of five days. The wrestlers had met Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday night and apprised him of their demands.

While the government is willing to accept most of their demands, the arrest of Singh, a BJP MP, remains the bone of contention.

Last week, the wrestlers also resumed their duties with the Northern Railways. Sakshi Malik and Punia are attached with Railways as OSD.

“The wrestlers look positive in their approach. We are hoping for a resolution today. The idea is that the sport should not suffer,” said a sports ministry official ahead of the meeting.

(with inputs from IANS and PTI)