CHENNAI: Embattled Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Friday held the protest against him by wrestlers politically motivated and claimed the protesters are being funded to carry out the agitation. Welcoming the Supreme Court's directive to Delhi police to register an FIR against him, Singh, who is also a BJP member of parliament, said he has complete faith in the country's judiciary system and police.
"The Supreme Court today (Friday) directed Delhi police to register an FIR against me. I welcome the decision and I will cooperate with the police," Singh told this daily. Adding further, he said: "I am not running away and ready to cooperate with investigative agencies. I did that in the past as well and appeared before the oversight committee formed by the sports ministry and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) panel. I will continue to assist as I have full faith in the police and judiciary system."
Singh, who has already announced that he will not contest for the top post as he has been rendered ineligible as per Sports Code after serving three tenures as the WFI chief, however, claimed the protest by the wrestlers is not for the sport. "Even as the apex court directed cops to register an FIR, they are not satisfied. They now want me to be disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha.
Tomorrow, they will come up with new demands. This all doesn't make sense and hints at a bigger conspiracy. Initially, they wanted my removal as the WFI chief and registration of FIR. Now as both of their demands have been met, they want more. They don't have faith in investigative agencies. First, they insisted on the inclusion of their fellow wrestler Babita Phogat in the oversight committee and when she was included and the probe was done, they were not satisfied with it. They wrote to the IOA to form a panel to investigate the charges but once it completed the probe, they didn't believe it either. They have even cast aspersions on the sports ministry, which formed the oversight committee and included Babita in it on their insistence," he added.
Singh also claimed that it was Babita who had written to the Delhi police seeking permission to sit-in when the wrestlers first staged a protest in January. "She (Babita) sought permission for the sit-in and then met the wrestlers promising them redressal of their grievances. She was then included in the oversight committee. I appeared before it and presented my side with evidence. How can someone, who has sought permission for the protest, could be included in the committee? I accepted that as well. Later, Babita claimed she was not happy with the probe even as other members agreed with the findings. Now the protesters claim seven wrestlers including a minor were harassed by me. Why these seven wrestlers didn't record their statements with the oversight committee and IOA panel. How they suddenly propped up now. These all things indicate toward a bigger conspiracy."
The wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Saksji Malik and Vinesh Phogat got support from other elite athletes including Neeraj Chopra and Abhinav Bindra. Singh said these athletes came for support as they are not aware of the truth. "I understand their feelings as they want to stand with their fellow athletes. But winning medals for the country doesn't give you liberty to break the law of land. If that would have been the case then double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar wouldn't have been behind the bars."
Singh said he is ready to face the action if proven guilty but asserted the fresh protest is being staged by members of a family, who practise at a particular akhara with some ulterior motive. "Where are other wrestlers who were present during the protest in January? Why have they not joined the protest this time? All these protesting wrestlers are related to each other or have a common ulterior motive. Sooner or later, it will be revealed as I firmly believe those guilty will not go unpunished," Singh signed off.
