Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday said after six hours of meeting with the protesting wrestlers, both the parties have reached to a common ground i.e., the wrestlers have agreed to suspend their protest till June 15 while the Minister assured that a chargsheet will be filed against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The Union Sports Minister said he heard all the demands of the wrestlers and assured them of full cooperation from the government.

The Minister on Tuesday tweeted,“The government is willing to have a discussion with the wrestlers on their issues. I have once again invited the wrestlers for the same.”

The Olympic winners Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik had a meeting with the Union Sports Minister Thakur at his official residence in New Delhi.

This comes three days after Home Minister Amit Shah had a similar meeting with them.

The meeting resulted in assuring full cooperation by the government to the wrestlers, while the wrestlers in return assured to discontinue the protest.

However, they stated June 15 as the ultimatum , failing which will lead to continuation of their protest.

The wrestlers had also requested the elections for the post of WFI president would be held by June 30, which the Union Minister approved.

They further demanded to establish an Internal Complaint Committee, headed by a woman, in the Federation.

The Union Minister addressed the media in a press conference after the meeting with the players was concluded.

In the meeting, Minister Thakur informed that the players would be consulted on the election of the office-bearers of the WFI and its functioning.

The Minister also informed that among the other demands, the players have demanded that nobody related to WFI chief should be allowed to be part of the WFI.

“They also demanded security for wrestlers, especially women, and that the cases against players, coaches, akhadas and academies be withdrawn so that they don’t face a police action,” the Union Sports Minister Thakur said, adding that he assured them the same. 

The top wrestlers of India have been protesting from a couple of months now against WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually assaulting women wrestlers.

Recently, on May 28, the wrestlers were booked for violating law and order as they were protesting and marching towards the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building without permission.

(Source-The Hindu)