Wrestlers' protest: TMC MPs walk out of Parliamentary panel meeting on sports

The Standing Committee is the watchdog of policy and it cannot be a pet dog of the government, the TMC MP said

Trinamool Congress MPs Sushmita Dev and Asit Kumar Mal on Thursday walked out of a Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting in protest against the non-discussion of the wrestlers’ demand for action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh, a BJP MP who is facing sexual harassment allegations.

Sources said Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita and her Lok Sabha counterpart Mal’s action came after the former’s demand for including the issue of wrestlers’ on the agenda of the meeting of the Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports headed by BJP MP Vivek Thakur, was not accepted.

On May 9, Sushmita had written to Thakur, saying that the panel should not remain a "mute spectator" to wrestlers protest against sexual harassment by the wrestling body chief and take up the issue for discussion to send a message that the watchdogs of government policy are serious about it.

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During the meeting, Sports Secretary Sujata Chaturvedi initially gave a presentation on Olympic Preparedness and TOPS (Targeted Olympic Podium Scheme). Sports Authority of India Director General Sandeep Pradhan and TOPS CEO Commodore PK Garg (retired) among others also attended the meeting.

The officials briefed the gathering about the preparations it did for the Olympics and mentioned how it helped javelin-throw gold medalist Neeraj Chopra and the burden of logistics the government and other sports apparatus are bearing.

Sources said Sushmita raised the issue of the wrestlers after the presentation was over and asked whether the Ministry of Sports or SAI have any control over federations, as it is giving funds to them. It was then pointed out that it was not part of the agenda.

Sushmita is learnt to have argued that her demand cannot be excluded from the agenda as she had already written to the committee chairman on May 9. She along with Mal then walked out saying that her conscience would not allow her to be part of the meeting. Though he did not walk out, Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh supported the Trinamool Congress MP on her demand.

When asked about the meeting, Sushmita said, “The Standing Committee is the watchdog of policy and it cannot be a pet dog of the government.”