Govt spreading false news of WFI suspension: Priyanka Gandhi

After the Union sports ministry announced that it had suspended the newly elected representatives of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) led by president Sanjay Singh, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the government is spreading "false news", as only the WFI's activities have been stopped so that the "accused" can be saved by spreading confusion.

Hitting out at the government in a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "The BJP government is spreading false news about dissolving the wrestling association. The wrestling association has not been dissolved, only its activities have been stopped so that the accused can be saved by spreading confusion."

Gandhi also said, "To suppress the voice of an aggrieved woman, one has to go to such lengths? When famous players who made the country proud accused a BJP MP of sexual harassment, the government stood with the accused. The victims were tortured and the accused were rewarded. The prime minister (Narendra Modi) and the home minister (Amit Shah) will not even listen. The home minister forgot the assurance given to the women wrestlers in return for withdrawing the agitation."

Here, the obvious reference is to ex-WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment by several Indian women wrestlers, who also staged over a month-long sit-in agitation at Delhi's Jantar Mantar earlier this year before being dispersed by the police.

"The height of arrogance is that the BJP MP who is accused of sexually harassing female players, himself decided that the next national games will be played in his own district, on his own college ground. Defeated by this darkness and injustice, Olympic winner Sakshi Malik left wrestling, and when players started returning their awards, the government is spreading rumours," Gandhi alleged.

"Wherever a woman is tortured, this government with all the might of its power protects the accused and tortures the victim. Today there is talk of women leadership in every field, but the people in power are busy harassing, suppressing and discouraging the women who are moving forward. The people of the country, the women of the country are watching all this," the Congress general secretary added.

Her remarks came after the sports ministry on Sunday said it had suspended the Sanjay Singh-led new WFI body over the "hasty" announcement to hold national competitions.

Soon after Sanjay Singh and his panel won the WFI elections, a tearful Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling at a press conference. And fellow Olympics bronze-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia announced he was returning his Padma Shri award (India's fourth highest civilian honour) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Priyanka Gandhi had also gone to meet Malik and Punia and said she would stand with them in their "fight against injustice".