Yogeshwar Dutt’s presence in Oversight committee untenable: Bajrang Punia

The group of India’s high wrestlers levelling allegations of sexual harassment in opposition to Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan have misplaced religion in an Oversight Committee member, grappler Yogeshwar Dutt, after his coach Ramphal Mann was purportedly heard giving particulars of the listening to throughout a sting operation by a information channel.

Mann purportedly stated that Yogeshwar advised him that there was no irrefutable proof in regards to the allegations of sexual harassment in opposition to the WFI president. In the almost seven-minute lengthy video, the coach additionally provides particulars of what two alleged victims stated earlier than the Oversight Committee and attributed the data he needed to London Olympics bronze-medal winner Yogeshwar.

Following the telecast of the sting operation video by ABP information, Tokyo Olympics bronze-medal winner Bajrang Punia, one of many wrestlers who protested at Jantar Mantar final month demanding the removing of Brij Bhushan as WFI president, stated that Yogeshwar being a member of the committee was untenable now.

“Yogeshwar should resign on his own from the Oversight Committee or he should be removed from the committee. He has no moral right to remain a member of the committee since it is clear that he does not believe in confidentiality. This is a sensitive matter related to women wrestlers. Each one of them has shown courage to come forward and talk. But instead of trying to understand the sensitive nature of the issue, Yogeshwar seems to be keen to belittle them. We have lost trust in him because he won’t be on the side of justice and will not view things objectively,” Bajrang advised The Indian Express on Tuesday.

It is learnt that WFI president Brij Bhushan appeared earlier than the Oversight Committee for the primary time on Tuesday. Brij Bhushan met the committee members on the Sports Authority of India workplace in New Delhi. Yogeshwar too was current, an official stated.

Bajrang stated that everybody who was a part of the listening to, together with the Oversight Committee members, needed to give an enterprise of confidentiality.

‘Should leave committee on his own’

“We have spoken to sports ministry officials about us being extremely unhappy with what Yogeshwar is doing. We have emailed the committee members and have also tweeted. He should have left the committee on his own when it came to light that he was telling his coach everything that happens during hearings. It is about the security of wrestlers, we all know how powerful the WFI president is,” Bajrang added.

In January, accusing Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment, Vinesh Phogat, a two-time World Championships medallist had stated, “Women wrestlers have been sexually harassed at national camps by coaches and also the WFI president. Some of the coaches appointed at national camps have been sexually harassing women wrestlers for years. The WFI president is also involved in sexual harassment.”

Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, World Championship bronze medalist Sarita Mor and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Ravi Dahiya alongwith Vinesh and Bajrang had been amongst these to protest at Jantar Mantar in January.

Requirement of motion in opposition to a member of oversight committee for leaking delicate data to the press. @ianuragthakur pic.twitter.com/cUPDDUXhaf

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) February 26, 2023

On Sunday Vinesh had tweeted, “It has come to my recent awareness that a sportsperson member of the Oversight Committee has been allegedly leaking contents of the complaint of sexual harassment while reading certain media reports since yesterday. Being a sportsperson it is extremely disheartening to see a fellow sports-person member of the Oversight Committee has behaved so recklessly. Their attitude towards women is evident from such behaviour…This member has been acting against the interest of women from day one. The lack of empathy and insensitivity displayed by this sportsperson was shocking during the proceedings of the committee.”

The ‘media reports’ Vinesh refers to is the sting operation through which Yogeshwar’s coach Mann is the main target.

Mann is purportedly heard saying that there was no proof associated to the sexual harassment allegations.

“On February 12 Yogeshwar met me, I asked him what happened. He said Bajrang had brought the girls and said they would give proof. Meeting happened from morning to evening, and each person was called individually.”

According to Mann, one woman advised the committee that Brij Bhushan had requested for her quantity however there was no dialog over the telephone between them. Another woman stated that she didn’t really feel comfy about Brij Bhushan putting his hand on her shoulder after she returned after profitable a medal.

Olympic medallist-boxer Mary Kom heads the Oversight committee which additionally contains former badminton participant and Mission Olympic Cell member Trupti Murgunde, former CEO of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme Rajesh Rajagopalan, and former Sports Authority of India govt director (groups) Radhica Sreeman.

Absence of high wrestlers exhibits

With a few of the nation’s high wrestlers skipping the UWW Ranking Series occasions and different worldwide competitions until motion is taken in opposition to WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan, India received simply 4 medals within the first two occasions. In Alexandria, Egypt. Ankit Gulia received a bronze in Greco Roman (72 kg), whereas Reetika, an Asian Under-23 Champion, received a freestyle bronze (72kg). In the primary rating collection of the yr in Zagreb, Croatia, the medal tally was two. Aman Sehrawat received a bronze within the 57 kg whereas Greco-Roman wrestler Ashu received one other bronze within the 67 kg class.