Wrestlers’ Protest On Sexual Harassment: PT Usha Faces The Heat

Seven women wrestlers filed a petition against Brij Bhushan, the chief of the Wrestling Federation Of India and also the BJP MP from Kaiserganj in UP for alleged sexual harassment. The wrestlers have been protesting asking for justice and they first protested at Jantar Mantar in January.

The wrestlers have been receiving support from several corners of the country, including the athletes like Neeraj Chopra, Kapil Dev, Rani Rampal, Sidhu, Sehwag, Harbhajan, Irfan Pathan, Madan Lal, Nikhat Zareen, and Sania Mirza. The politicians like KTR, and Mamta Banerjee also extended their full support to wrestlers. But former athlete and Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha’s remarks attracted criticism from all over.

PT Usha said the wrestlers should have approached IOA rather than recommencing their public protest against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. ‘Wresters staging protest on the streets amounts to indiscipline. It is tarnishing the image of India’.

Usha’s old comments were brought up asking how she could change her stand regarding the safety of women athletes in India. PT Usha earlier expressed worry for the safety of female athletes at her academy Usha School of Athletics.

Many criticized that PT Usha should learn from Neeraj Chopra. The latest one to criticize PT Usha is Shashi Tharoor, who said, ‘Dear PT Usha, it does not become you to disparage the justified protest of your fellow sportspersons in the face of repeated & wanton sexual harassment. Their standing p for their rights does not ‘tarnish the image of the nation. Ignoring their concerns instead of hearing them out, investigating them, and taking just action – does.’ Actress Pooja Bhatt

Protesting wrestlers also hit back at PT Usha saying ‘Being a woman athlete, she (PT Usha) isn’t listening to other women athletes. Where’s indiscipline here, we are sitting here peacefully…She herself cried in front of the media regarding her academy’.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat also questioned why the star cricketers and other top sportspersons are silent. She said she was pained to see that they don’t have the courage to stand up to those in power.