"Big decision by Sports Ministry" - Twitter reacts to WFI suspension just three days after elections
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is back in the doldrums due to the Sports Ministry of India's decision to suspend it.
It had seemed as if things were back on track for wrestling's chief governing body in the country after the delayed WFI elections took place on December 21.
Sanjay Singh, the vice president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association, swept the elections against former India wrestler Anita Sheoran. However, the joy didn't last for long.
On Sunday, the Sports Ministry of India suspended the newly-elected body for breaching the WFI constitution. It stated that the national federation showed blatant disregard for procedural norms and ignored the constitutional framework.
This was linked to the announcement of junior nationals from December 28 to 30, which was on a very short notice.
"This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI.
"As per clause 3 (e) of the preamble of the constitution of WFI, the object of the WFI, among others, is to arrange the holding of Senior, Junior, and Sub Junior National Championships as per UWW Rules at places selected by the Executive Committee," the statement from the Ministry read.
The government also called out the unfair business of the federation being run from the premises of former WFI office bearers.
All this has happened in the background of the protests by prominent wrestlers such as Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia. These two, along with another prominent wrestler Vinesh Phogat, have accused the former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually exploiting young wrestlers.
The new president-elect, Sanjay Singh, is seen as a proxy of Brij Bhushan by the protesting wrestlers. As a result, they intensified their protests, which may have played a key part in this move of the Sports Ministry.
Reacting to the ministry's sudden intervention into the matter less than 72 hours after the federation's elections, here's how netizens shared their views:
What led to WFI's suspension?
WFI's newly-elected secretary general Prem Chand Lochab, who won from the rival camp of Sheoran, wrote a letter to president-elect Sanjay Singh. He said that the junior nationals' dates and schedule are decided, as per the constitution of WFI, through the secretary.
It should be noted that the decision to schedule junior nationals was taken in a city hotel hours after the election results were revealed. Lochab wasn't present in that meeting, as per several media reports.