The Sports Ministry has stopped the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections that were scheduled for May 7, 2023. They have asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to form an ad-hoc committee to conduct the polls and manage the sports body within 45 days of its formation. The ministry’s decision came after top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, resumed their sit-in protest, demanding the public disclosure of the findings of the oversight panel that investigated sexual harassment allegations against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
According to a letter from the ministry to IOA president PT Usha, the election process should be considered null and void, and fresh elections to the EC should be conducted under a neutral body/Returning Officer.
