Sanjay Singh will challenge WFI suspension in court
New Delhi: Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president-elect Sanjay Singh on Thursday said the Sports Ministry did not follow “due process” while suspending the national body and he will challenge the government’s decision in court.
The Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the WFI for violating its own constitution while taking some decisions, including the announcement of the Under-15 and Under-20 national championships, three days after the elections were held.
However, Sanjay said that his “autonomous” and “democratically elected” body could not have been suspended by the government without hearing WFI’s side.
“We won the (WFI) elections democratically. The returning officer was the retired Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, there were observers from IOA and UWW (United World Wrestling). There were 22 state units (three out of 25 were absent) Taking part in the state association elections, 47 votes were cast, out of which I got 40 votes,” said Sanjay.
“After all this, if you say we have been suspended, we will not accept it. A democratically elected body was not given a chance to explain its position, which is against the principle of natural justice. , under which everyone is entitled.
Asked what was the way forward for his organisation, he said, “WFI is an autonomous body and the government has not followed due process. We are going to talk to the government and if it (the government) suspends Doesn’t take it back.” “We are taking legal opinion and going to court.”
He said since the WFI is opposing the suspension, it does not accept the three-member ad-hoc committee formed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday to run the day-to-day affairs of the national sports body.
‘Bajrang, Vinesh and Sakshi are doing politics’
He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to an arena in Haryana to meet Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia made it clear that the trio, who spent five months accusing former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing women wrestlers, Had led long protests. Were playing politics.
Brij’s close aide Sanjay said, “It is clear that they (Bajrang, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik) have the support of the Congress, the tool-kit gang and the Left parties. All three are playing in the lap of these political parties.” Grace.
“Please tell me there is a fourth wrestler apart from these three who is opposing the WFI. These three do not want junior wrestlers to move forward, they want to snatch the rights of junior wrestlers.”
“Bajrang went (to the Hangzhou Asian Games) without participating in the trials and came back after losing 10-0. He is not in wrestling, he is in politics. If you are worried about wrestling then please come forward, for you The path is clear, but if you want to do politics, please do it in the open.”
Sanjay also took a dig at Bajrang for leaving him on the road after he decided to return his Padma Shri to the government.
“It may be a personal matter, but Khel Ratna has national sentiments attached to it, it is not for any one individual but of the entire society. Padma Shri is not something that should be kept on the road.”
Sakshi left the game after Sanjay was elected as the WFI chief while Bajrang decided to return his Padma Shri. Vinesh followed this by returning her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award.
‘Hopefully UWW will lift the ban on WFI’
Sanjay also claimed that he had written a letter to United World Wrestling (UWW) requesting them to lift the ban imposed on WFI and he is expecting a favorable decision from the international parent body.
“We have written to UWW requesting it to lift the ban imposed on WFI as the elections were held democratically. There are office holidays (in Europe) so it may take a few days.”
He also claimed that the newly elected office-bearers did not violate any constitutional provision of the WFI while announcing the dates and venue of the Under-15 and Under-20 National Championships in Gonda, Brij Bhushan’s Lok Sabha constituency, after December 21. Election.
“When we decided to hold the Under-15 and Under-20 nationals there was full quorum. There was an AGM on the election day, we went to a hotel (in Delhi) and took the decision.
“If Nationals were not held this year, the future of young wrestlers would have been spoiled, which has happened now. They will be overaged. There was a consensus from everyone at the venue as well.”
