Sports and players priority for us, will not compromise on it: Thakur
Union Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur said on Thursday that sports and sportspersons have always been a priority for the central government and they have never and will never compromise on the facilities of sportspersons. The country’s top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, resumed their sit-in at Jantar Mantar on Sunday demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. He has accused Brij Bhushan of threatening and sexually harassing women wrestlers.
Thakur said that he had spoken to the protesting wrestlers before forming the monitoring committee and Babita Phogat was also given a place in the committee as per their demand. Responding to questions during a press conference in Shimla, Thakur said, “The government is very clear, the Modi government has always stood with the players. We stood by the players, provided facilities to the players and worked to promote them. Sports and players are priority for us. For that we do not make any compromise anywhere. Neither has done till date nor will do in the future.
On the protest of the players, the Sports Minister said, “As far as you talk about wrestling, if some players are sitting at Jantar Mantar today, who talked to them. I sat with him for 12 hours canceling my entire trip to Himachal Pradesh. Seven hours one day and five and a half hours the next. Heard the whole thing. There was a press conference at 2-2:30 in the night. A committee was formed after asking them. ”””’ He said, ” Complainants don’t form a committee but if the government had to form it, we formed it. He asked to include one more person. He named Babita Phogat. We included that too because we don’t have anything in mind.
We wanted a fair probe. A monitoring committee was formed. Whoever wanted to present his views before the monitoring committee was given an opportunity. There was no restriction on anyone. Due to these the time limit was also extended. We also worked to extend the time limit.” Thakur said 14 meetings of the monitoring committee were held and no one was ever stopped from appearing for the hearing. He said, “There were 14 meetings of the committee. The player who said I want to come, came. If the player took someone’s name and he didn’t even want to come, we allowed him to come too.
The main conclusions of what was said in the report of the committee were that until fair elections are held, an ad hoc committee should be formed, elections should be held within 45 days. An internal complaints committee should be formed, if someone has a complaint of mental, sexual harassment, then we asked for a committee to be formed for that in the federation. If there is a team to be sent for the tournament, then we said that the Indian Olympic Association will form a committee and conduct elections within 45 days, fair elections will be held and a new general body will come, the internal complaints committee can work in it.
On not registering an FIR on the complaint of the police wearing clothes, the Sports Minister said that any person can register an FIR but there is a procedure which is to be followed. “Anybody outside can lodge an FIR at any police station at any time. If it is an eight-year-old case, the FIR could have been made eight years ago and can be made even today, but the police also do a preliminary investigation. Delhi Police also said that we will conduct a preliminary inquiry and will take further action on the basis of whatever comes out of it.
