India’s top wrestlers have made their way to Haridwar, taking a stand by symbolically casting their hard-earned medals into the sacred river Ganges. Their purpose? To express their dissatisfaction with the delayed arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faces sexual harassment allegations, a charge he vehemently denies.
Since April 23, these wrestlers had been encamped in New Delhi, demanding action against Singh. On Sunday, several protesters were briefly detained by Delhi Police as they attempted to move towards India’s new parliament building. Singh, a member of BJP, remained unavailable for comment on Tuesday. While he has been relieved of his administrative powers, the wrestlers insist on his arrest regarding the accusations against him.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday in Haridwar, wrestlers such as Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia expressed their intentions for the next course of action. “For us, our medals are sacred, and so is the river Ganges,” they proclaimed in Hindi. They further stated, “This holy river is the perfect custodian of our medals, not the system that shields the offender.” Following the medal-tossing ceremony, the athletes plan to return to New Delhi and initiate a hunger strike at the India Gate war memorial.
Notably, former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble took to Twitter to voice his support for the wrestlers on Tuesday. He expressed his dismay at the events of May 28, where the wrestlers were subjected to mistreatment, emphasizing the need for resolution through meaningful dialogue. Kumble expressed hope for a swift and satisfactory resolution to the ongoing situation.
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