During this period, an oversight committee \u2014 to be announced on Saturday \u2014 will probe allegations of sexual harassment and financial impropriety against Singh and also run the day-to-day affairs of the federation. Sources said the panel will likely have threeeminent ex-sportspersons, two of them female athletes.<\/p>\n
“The oversight committee will have a time frame of four weeks to give its report. Till the time the committee is in existence, WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh will step aside. He will assist the panel in its investigation,” Thakur said. Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, one of the leading protesters, said, \u201cWe have full faith in the committee as announced by the minister. We are happy that a probe has been announced. We are calling off our protest for now. \u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Watch:](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/42706777.gif\"\/ "\\"Watch:")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWatch: Boxer Vijender Singh joins protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Earlier in the day, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) also formed a seven-member committee on Friday, headed by six-time world boxing champion M C Mary Kom, to probe allegation s of sexual harassment against.<\/p>\n
![\"Gfx](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/imgsize-23456,msid-97186366,width-600,resizemode-4\/97186366.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMeanwhile in UP\u2019s Gonda, Singh, who is the Kaiserganj MP, cancelled his much-anticipated press conference after three postponements on Friday. He, however, ruled out his resignation during a casual chat with the media earlier in the day and claimed thathis \u201crevelations would trigger a tsunami\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u2018BJP MP and national coaches sexually assaulted women wrestlers\u2019, players may file FIR against WFI chief<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
No time frame has been set fo r the committee to submit its report to IOA president PT Usha and its executive council (EC).
The IOA said it had no authority to dissolve the WFI as demanded by the wrestlers, as it can be done only by the sport\u2019s global governing body \u2013 United World Wrestling \u2013 following an independent inquiry. The IOA can, of course, terminate WFI\u2019s membership as i ts affiliated unit. WFI chief Singh said he was not pulling any strings to stay put on the post but ruled out his resignation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have not spoken to anybody in Delhi. No talks have happen ed with Amit Shah. Why shall I resign? I will hold a presser in the evening,\u201d said Singh.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe protest by wrestlers against me is the dharna of Shaheen Bagh,\u201d Singh said, adding that it was an \u201ca ttack on BJP\u201d orchestrated by Congress.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh calls off press meet as pressure mounts on him<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Speaking to a TV channel, he said, \u201cThe protesting players have become toys in the hands of Congress and Deepinder Hooda\u2026 The picture becomes clearer with the tweets and statements by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Deepinder Hooda. This attack is not only on me, but on the Bharatiya Janata Party through me,\u201d Singh had said. Singh\u2019s son Prateek Bhushan, a BJP MLA from Gonda, said later in the evening that the WFI chief will issue a statement about the allegations on January 22, after the annua l general meet of the federation. In IOA\u2019s panel, apart from IOA athletes commission chairperson Mary Kom, the other panel members include IOA joint secretary Alaknanda Ashok, Yo geshwar Dutt, Dola Banerjee, IOA treasurer Sahdev Yadav and one male and female lawyer. Abhinav Bindra joined the IOA\u2019s emergency council\u2019s virtual meeting on Friday as an athletes\u2019 commission member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).<\/p>\n
The members have been tasked to hold dialogues with the agitating wrestlers and investigate the charges of sexual harassment and intimida tion against Singh. The members will meet the alleged victims of harassment if the protesting wrestlers wish to share their names with the committee in strict confidentiality.<\/p>\n
The EC mem bers expressed their unhappiness over the way the wrestlers went public with their grievances instead of first discussing it with the sports ministry, IOA and the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The members are also not pleased with the timing of the protest \u2013 organised just two months before the WFI elections are scheduled in March.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWatch: Why this old video of BJP MP and President of Wrestling Federation Brij Bhushan Sharan going viral again<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Earlier in the day, the wrestlers had written a detailed letter to Usha reiterating their demand for Singh\u2019s sacking and a thorough probe into the allegations of sexual misconduct. In the letter, signed jointly by Bajrang, Sakshi, Vin esh, Ravi and Deepak, the wrestlers informed Usha they feared for their lives and that if Singh wasn\u2019t sacked, the careers of young grapplers sitting on dharna with them for the third consecut ive day at Jantar Mantar would be finished.
\u201cIt has taken a lot of courage for us to come together and protest against the WFI president. We fear for our lives. Vinesh was mentally h arassed and tortured by the WFI president after she missed out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo. She contemplated suicide,\u201d the letter stated. \u201cWe will not budge until the WFI president i s sacked. We want to reiterate that contrary to perception, there is no political party or industrialist\u2019s involvement (in the protest),\u201d it added.
Watch<\/i> Wrestlers call off protest after Centre\u2019s assurance, WFI chief Brij Bhushan to step aside<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n