Indian pro wrestlers including Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik have issued a fresh warning to start a protest against the appointment of Brij Bhushan Singh's son, Karan, as the President of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association. The Olympic laureate wrestlers are also discontented with the reinstatement of Sanjay Kumar Singh, a close associate of Brij Bhushan, as the Wrestling Federation of India's president on February 13. Malik and Punia took to social media to declare that they would be launching a protest against Brij Bhushan loyalists holding decision-making powers.
Brij Bhushan Singh, the former President of the Wrestling Federation of India, has been accused of sexual harassment by six girls and women wrestlers. The situation intensified with the election of Sanjay Singh as the new WFI chief, succeeding Brij Bhushan. The change in leadership gave little respite to the Indian wrestlers' protests as Brij Bhushan continued to have significant influence over the Federation.
New Protests To Emerge?
For several months, Malik, Punia and Vinesh Phogat have made headlines for their protests advocating the apprehension of Brij Bhushan Singh on allegations of sexually harassing female wrestlers. Olympian Bajrang Punia shared on X (Twitter) recently, "Just 2-3 days back, Brij Bhushan’s son became the president of the UP wrestling body despite him saying no one from his family will come into wrestling administration. The government had promised that Brij Bhushan or his relatives or associates will not govern the sport.”
Sakshi Malik agreed with Punia and posted to her X account, “We came to know yesterday that Sanjay Singh has done some setting with the UWW and got the suspension lifted. I have retired from wrestling but I won’t allow Brij Bhushan and his people to run the federation and also trouble women wrestlers. In the next few days, we will talk to everyone who was involved in the protest and decide the future course of action. I request the government to remove people connected to Brij Bhushan from the WFI and place someone who is clean and capable at the top.”
WFI treasurer Satyapal Deshwal, the observer for the UP association polls, told The Indian Express, “There was a returning officer at the elections. Karan was the only candidate for the president’s post. All 15 office-bearers were elected unopposed. There is nothing that stops Karan from contesting elections for the state association. Because he is UP wrestling president, it does not mean he will be involved in the day-to-day functioning of the WFI." He also added that Brij Bhushan Singh has retired and was not present during the elections.
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