Wrestlers Protest: Sports Ministry calls for grapplers sitting at Jantar Mantar to mediate

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New Delhi, Jan 19: Union Sports Ministry on Thursday (January 19) called for star wrestlers, who are protesting at the Jantar Mantar against the Wrestling Federation of India since Wednesday, to mediate the civil war.

The Ministry, led by Anurag Thakur, called for an immediate meeting with star wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat, Sakshi Malik, among others.

Bajrang Punia speaks during protest on Day 2

"The sports ministry has just messaged us to visit them immediately at their office to mediate," said Bajrang at the protest site.

The wrestler clarified that they won't negotiate their terms which include the resignation of WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and also the dissolving of the federation.

"We are not going to back out from our demands of resignation of the president and a ban on WFI. Whatever terms we agree on, we will inform after our meeting," said Bajrang.

Top Wrestlers Join Protest at Jantar Mantar

Among other star wrestlers to remain at the protest site were Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya and CWG gold medallists Naveen Mallik and Deepak Punia.

Dahiya was among the first big names to join the protest from the famed-Chatrasaal Akhada on Thursday after the Olympic star took to social media encouraging fans to back the wrestlers in their protest.

Earlier on Wednesday, representatives of Chatrasaal, run by Dronacharya awardee Mahabli Satpal Singh, were missing from the protest, where two-time World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat accused Brij Bhushan and other WFI top brass of sexual harassment of women's wrestlers at Lucknow national camps and also mismanagement in the handling of elite athletes. Dangal-famed Mahavir Singh Phogat also joined the protesting wrestlers on Thursday.

Bajrang added that WFI failed to provide the sponsorship money promised to them by their title sponsor Tata Motors.

Brij Bhushan, later, refuted such claims while stressing that charges of sexual harassment levelled against him were false and is ready to be 'executed' if found to be true.

Later, two-time Asian Championships gold medallist, Divya Kakran, came out in support of Brij Bhushan saying that in her 10 years at the national camps, the wrestler was never misbehaved with.