1 year ago
38
Image source, Getty Images
India's apical wrestlers had said that they would descend their medals successful a stream successful protest
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has condemned the mode India's apical wrestlers are being treated during their ongoing protest.
It has besides demanded an probe into allegations that Indian wrestling main Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh sexually harassed pistillate athletes.
The wrestlers were temporarily detained by police connected Sunday arsenic they tried to march to the caller parliament building.
They were demanding the resignation and apprehension of the federation chief.
Mr Singh, who is besides an influential MP from the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has denied the allegations and accused the wrestlers of being "politically motivated".
On Tuesday, helium told reporters that the Delhi constabulary was investigating and that they would apprehension him if they recovered thing against him. "Let the probe instrumentality place, it is successful the hands of Delhi police," helium said.
Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia and two-time satellite champion medallist Vinesh Phogat, were among those who were detained and aboriginal released by the constabulary connected Sunday. The constabulary besides filed cases including of rioting against them.
Visuals of the athletes being dragged and carried disconnected successful buses went viral, sparking disapproval from apical athletes and absorption politicians.
In a connection connected Tuesday night, the IOC "urged the information and wellbeing of these athletes" and called for "a speedy conclusion" of the investigation.
It said it had been successful adjacent interaction with United World Wrestling (UWW) - the planetary organisation governing amateur wrestling - implicit the situation.
The UWW besides issued a connection connected Tuesday saying that it was pursuing "with large concern" the wrestlers' protests "over allegations of maltreatment and harassment by the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)".
"It expresses its disappointment implicit the deficiency of results of the investigations truthful far," the connection said and added that the UWW would clasp a gathering with the wrestlers to inquire astir their information and "reconfirm our enactment for a just and conscionable solution of their concerns".
The UWW besides said that it mightiness suspend the WFI if its upcoming elections were not held connected time.
The wrestlers, who person been protesting for implicit a period now, had archetypal protested successful January but called it disconnected aft Mr Singh was stripped of his administrative powers by the sports ministry and the authorities promised to analyse their complaints.
However, they restarted their protests successful April, calling for his arrest.
On Tuesday, the wrestlers had threatened to throw their medals into the Ganges - India's holiest river. They said they had archetypal considered returning their medals to the president and the premier curate but were disappointed that they had not spoken astir the protests adjacent once.
"These medals are our beingness and soul... We consciousness there's nary meaning to having these medals astir our necks anymore," they said successful a statement.
But they were persuaded by Naresh Tikait, person of influential farming radical Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), to not propulsion their medals yet. Mr Tikait aboriginal told reporters helium was giving the authorities 5 days to instrumentality action.
BBC News India is present connected YouTube. Click here to subscribe and ticker our documentaries, explainers and features.
English (US)