Wrestlers protest: How a meeting with Home Miner Amit Shah last Saturday set the stage for talks with Sports Miner Anurag Thakur

A month-and-a-half after India’s top wrestlers restarted their protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexually harassing women athletes, there was finally a thaw.After Wednesday’s six-hour-long negotiations with Union Sports Miner Anurag Thakur, following the midnight meeting with Union Home Miner Amit Shah on Sunday, the Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik-led delegation agreed to suspend their protests till June 15, when the Delhi Police is expected complete its investigation and file a chargesheet.Thakur, after the meeting, told the media that the government has accepted the wrestlers’ demand of withdrawal of police cases against them wrestler after the May 28 protest at Jantar Mantar, promised police protection to the complainants and also assured them that Singh, or his associates, wouldn’t be allowed to participate in the WFI elections at the end of this month.
“Government has discussed all the points with the wrestlers and their supporters. We have agreed that June 15 will be the deadline for filing the charge sheet after the investigation,” he said.

#WrestlersProtests
Sports Miner Anurag Thakur: “I had a long six-hour discussion with the wrestlers. We have assured them that the probe will be completed 15th June and chargesheets will be submitted. The WFI election will be done 30th June.”
🎥: @AndrewAmsan pic.twitter.com/Vm0k1iOK20
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) June 7, 2023
Meanwhile, Bajrang, said that in case there was no action against Singh, they would relaunch their protest. “We will put forth all the points in front of the other wrestlers, khap leaders, and our supporters. If no action is taken June 15, we will continue our protest,” Bajrang was quoted as saying ANI.
The reason for the headway has been the hectic parleys over the last five days. While the police investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment continued, with the next court hearing scheduled for June 27, the breakthrough came days after a delegation of wrestlers met Shah at his official residence last Saturday. Although the meeting remained inconclusive, sources said it set the stage for the talks with Thakur.
Wednesday’s meeting between the wrestlers and the government was the third in less than two weeks. But this time, there was one big difference – the government publicly invited the wrestlers for talks. “The government is willing to have a discussion with the wrestlers on their issues,” Thakur tweeted at 12.47am on Wednesday. “I have once again invited the wrestlers for the same.”
The invite is seen as a response to one of the key demands made the wrestlers after their meeting with Shah, which was a hushed affair. Following those negotiations, the wrestlers demanded that all future talks should take place publicly for the sake of transparency.

“Since the government wanted to engage in talks, the wrestlers insed that they do so publicly and not in a secret manner. This was to ensure there was no ambiguity and a picture wasn’t portrayed that the wrestlers were looking for a settlement,” a source said. “If they refused to do it, the wrestlers indicated they wouldn’t meet any official.”
Following Thakur’s invitation, the wrestlers met him at his official residence in New Delhi where a majority of the issues discussed on Wednesday were in continuation of the previous talks with Shah.
While both sides dug their heels on this issue, there were signs of the government’s stance softening on other key topics in a bid to end the protests.
The election of the WFI’s new office-bearers, after the earlier election process was declared null and void the sports minry, was another issue discussed between Shah and the wrestlers. The government extended them an olive branch offering one of the wrestlers a key position in the new executive body of the federation. However, after deliberating amongst themselves, the wrestlers decided against it. “It would have created a perception that they staged these protests to get a position of power. Hence, that suggestion has been turned down,” a source said.

The wrestlers also raised the issue of the FIR filed against them the Delhi Police on May 28 after they tried to march towards the new Parliament while it was being inaugurated. In actions that were condemned the world’s top sports bodies and some of India’s biggest athletes, the Delhi Police manhandled the wrestlers and detained them before filing FIRs under multiple sections, including rioting.
It is learnt that the wrestlers discussed their return to the mat, seeking to compete in the selection trials for the World Championships – which doubles up as a qualifying event for next year’s Paris Olympics – and the Asian Games. The two major competitions will be held back-to-back in September and October and the selection trials for the same were originally scheduled to be held towards the end of this month.
However, after the wrestlers’ request, the trials are likely to be postponed so that they have enough time to prepare for the same. The wrestlers also sought assurances that their jobs with the Railways, which they got under the sports quota, won’t be under threat.

On Wednesday, the government and the wrestlers found common ground on most of these issues. But the meeting ended with another stalemate. The Sports Miner, it is learnt, wanted to issue a joint statement immediately after their talks ended. The wrestlers, however, demanded to ‘discuss’ it with Vinesh, who wasn’t present there, and the khap leaders before making a joint statement with the government. Eventually, after a lot of back and forth, Bajrang and Sakshi left Thakur’s home more than six hours after they reached.
There would be no joint announcement. But after weeks of deadlock, there was a breakthrough at last.