PT Usha meets protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, assures support

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha on Wednesday visited Jantar Mantar and met the protesting wrestlers, who have been demanding the removal of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual assault allegations.

This is her second visit to the site in a matter of a week after meeting them on April 27. However, she did not talk to the media after his visit to Jantar Mantar.

Later, wrestler Bajrang Punia told the media that PT Usha assured support to them and her recent comment was "misinterpreted" by the media.

"She (PT Usha) said that she is standing with us and will get us justice and that she is an athlete first and then anything else. She said that she will look into our issue and resolve it as early as possible. We will remain here till Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh goes to jail," ANI quoted Punia in a tweet.

In the clip shared by news agency ANI, PT Usha is seen having a conversation with Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia.

After meeting the protestors on April 27, PT Usha had said that they should have approached the IOA before going out in the streets against the WFI chief.

"Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is having a committee for sexual harassment, instead of going to the streets they (protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier but they did not come to IOA. It is not good for sports not only for wrestlers, they should also have some discipline," the IOA president had said.

However, the protesters were not impressed with her comments and said that they were disappointed with her remarks.

"Being a woman athlete, she (PT Usha) is not listening to other women athletes. We have followed her since childhood and got inspired by her. Where is indiscipline here, we are sitting here peacefully," Sakshi Malik had said.

On his turn, Vinesh Phogat had termed Usha's comments as "insensitive". "We live as per the constitution and are independent citizens. We can go anywhere. If we are sitting out in the streets, there must be some reason, a reason that nobody listened to us, be it IOA or Sports Ministry. Her saying this is insensitive. I even called her, but she did not pick up my phone," he stated.

The second round of protests by the wrestlers started on April 23 as seven women players levelled sexual harassment allegations against him.

So far, two FIRs have been filed against the WFI chief. While the first FIR related to allegations by a minor wrestler and was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the second was related to outraging modesty.