Decision to suspend WFI taken under pressure: Opposition leaders

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections were held on December 21 with Sanjay Singh and his panel winning the polls by big margins.

Opposition leaders on Sunday said the government's decision to suspend the newly-elected WFI was not enough to give justice to protesting wrestlers and questioned why a loyalist of former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was allowed to contest the election to the sports body in the first place.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections were held on December 21 with Sanjay Singh and his panel winning the polls by big margins.

The sports ministry on Sunday suspended the WFI till further notice after the wrestling body made a "hasty announcement" of organising the U-15 and U-20 nationals "without following due procedure and not giving sufficient notice to wrestlers" for preparations.

"By suspending the committee if BJP-led ministry thinks they are absolving themselves from not helping the women wrestlers, they are mistaken," Sharad Pawar-led NCP's national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said on X.

He said the ministry's actions were a "farce".

"Medal surrendered by Shakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia has mounted pressure on the Sports Ministry to suspend the recently held WFI election, its welcome but justice has not meted out to the victims," Congress leader Udit Raj said in a post on X.

Congress leader Ranjeet Ranjan questioned Sanjay Singh's election when he was commonly known to be the "right-hand man" of the former WFI chief, against whom wrestlers made complaints of sexual harassment.