Wrestlers adamant, meeting with Union Sports Minister inconclusive
The Hindu
The marathon meeting began around 10 pm on Thursday, the second day of the wrestlers' protest against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
Top Indian wrestlers' meeting with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur remained inconclusive late night on January 19 as they refused to back down from their demand that the government immediately disband the Wrestling Federation of India.
The marathon meeting began around 10 pm on Thursday, the second day of the wrestlers' protest against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The wrestlers left Mr. Thakur's house at 1:45 am and did not speak to the reporters waiting outside.
Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, Sakshi Malik and world championship medallist Vinesh Phogat were part of the meeting.
Mr. Thakur flew to Delhi from Himachal Pradesh after an earlier meeting between government officials and the protesting wrestlers remained inconclusive.
The wrestlers will meet the Sports minister again on Friday, according to government officials.
The Ministry cannot force Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to resign unless it receives a written reply from the WFI since the government itself has asked the wrestling body for an explanation.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.