CPI (M) chief Brinda Karat requested to get off the stage by Bajrang Punia and different protesting wrestlers at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar

On Thursday, Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Brinda Karat was requested to step down from the stage throughout a wrestlers’ protest in opposition to Wrestling Federation of India coaches and officers at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The video of the incident went viral over the web the place wrestler Bajrang Punia might be seen requesting Karat to not “politicize” the protest and to go away the platform.

“Madam, I request you to please come down. Please don’t politicise the protest. This is the wrestler’s protest. Please get down from the stage,” Punia might be heard saying to the CPI (M) chief.

#WATCH | CPI(M) chief Brinda Karat requested to step down from the stage throughout wrestlers’ protest in opposition to WFI at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/sw8WMTdjsk

— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2023

In a video shared by ANI, Brinda Karat was seen being insistent on attending to the rostrum and talking. However, Bajrang Punia, who was talking, was alerted by different wrestlers about her presence. The Olympian then requested Brinda and others to get off and to not politicise the protests.

Olympians and famend wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia and lots of others have levelled harassment allegations in opposition to Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) officers and coaches on Wednesday and staged a sit-in protest in opposition to the nationwide federation President’s dictatorship at Jantar Mantar, which entered its second day immediately.

Wrestler Babita Phogat arrived on the protest location on behalf of the federal government, promising an neutral investigation into the scenario. “I have assured them that the government is with them. I will try that their issues are resolved today,” Phogat mentioned after addressing the gathering in Delhi.

According to the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Union Sports Ministry has additionally requested a proof from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) about claims of sexual exploitation levelled by wrestlers together with Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalists. The Ministry has requested WFI to reply to the wrestlers’ allegations inside 72 hours, it added.

Meanwhile, WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh denied claims of sexual misbehaviour and acknowledged that stress was placed on some wrestlers to conduct sit-in protest in opposition to him over allegations of sexual harassment.

He mentioned that wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malikkh met him every week earlier they usually had no downside then. “Maybe, they didn’t like some of the decisions I took as President but I only took those decisions in the interest of the sport,” he mentioned.