Vijender Singh joins wrestlers' protest, asked to step down from stage: Report

As per an ANI report, the player was asked to step down from the stage by the protesting wrestlers as they didn't want to politicize the issue.

Visuals from the Jantar Mantar protest site showed the 2008 Beijing Olympic bronze medallist sitting not on the stage with the wrestlers but on the ground below.

On the other hand, Vijender demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the sexual harassment allegations levelled by the grapplers against the WFI chairman.

"I want justice to be served to those wrestlers, there must be a thorough probe into the allegations raised by wrestlers and there must be a CBI probe against those who're involved in this," Singh who is now with the Congress party told ANI.

The champion boxer sought a live recording of any interaction between Union sports minister Anurag Thakur or any official with the wrestlers so that everyone could get to know about the discussion and the outcome of it.

It is worth noting that on Thursday, Brinda Karat of the CPI (M) who reached the site to join in the protest was also requested to step down from the stage by the grapplers.

The massive Jantar Mantar protest is being headed by celebrated Indian wrestlers, including Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik besides Vinesh Phogat and others.

They are staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar for the last two days against the WFI president, accusing him of sexual exploitation and intimidation and have demanded that the federation be disbanded.

On Wednesday, the Centre made it clear that if the WFI does not respond in the next three days, the sports ministry "will proceed to initiate action against the federation in terms of the provisions of the National Sports Development Code, 2011."