Anurag Thakur urges wrestlers to not take any step that will undermine sports

Protesting Indian wrestlers clash with police at Jantar Mantar (Pic: AFP)

As the wrestling protests continue to gain momentum from across the country, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday asked the athletes to not take any step that would undermine sports. This development comes a day after the aggrieved grapplers threatened to immerse their medals in river Ganga at Haridwar.

Urging the protesting wrestlers to stay patient and place their trust on the investigation into the allegations against the Wrestling Federation of India's former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

"I urge the wrestlers to be patient till the outcome of the investigation. I also urge them not to take any step that would undermine sports," the minister said while replying to queries from reporters.

Interestingly, Thakur's remarks come a day after the country's top wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, along with hundreds of their supporters, reached Har ki Pauri to immerse their medals in the river Ganga but were persuaded by Khap and farmer leaders not to do so.

Also Read: Protesting wrestlers rethink immersing medals in Ganga, give five day deadline

Meanwhile, the sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan is under consideration and the status report of the investigation will be submitted to court, the Delhi Police said on Wednesday. Earlier though, official sources said police had not found sufficient evidence in favour of the allegations levelled against Singh by female wrestlers and that it will submit the report within 15 days.

As the news came out in the media, the Delhi Police took to Twitter to say: "It is clarified that this news is "wrong" and the investigation into this sensitive case is under progress with all sensitivity." A police spokesperson also shared the same message with reporters, but after nearly an hour, the Delhi Police deleted its tweet. The public relations officer (PRO) also removed the message she had shared in the official WhatsApp group for reporters.

(With PTI inputs)