New Delhi: The Gauhati high court on Sunday, June 25 stayed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, scheduled for July 11, while acting on a plea by the Assam Wrestling Association (AWA).
According to news agency PTI, AWA, in its petition filed against the WFI, Indian Olympics Association, and the Sports Ministry, said that though it was entitled to be an affiliated member of the WFI, it was not granted one “despite recommendation made by the then WFI Executive Committee at WFI’s General Council in Gonda, on November 15, 2014.”
The WFI ad-hoc panel has fixed June 25 as the last date for receiving names for the electoral college. The elections to constitute a new governing body would be held on July 11, PTI reported.
AWA said that the election process should be stalled until they are affiliated to the WFI and are eligible to nominate their representatives to the electoral college.
The court directed the respondents – WFI’s ad-hoc body and the Sports Ministry – to not proceed with the executive committee elections until the next hearing is fixed, the Economic Times reported.
The case will be next heard on July 17, the report said.
This is not the first time that the WFI election has been delayed. The election was supposed to be held on June 30, as per the sports ministry’s directions which were then postponed to July 11 before the latest high court order, Times Now reported.
WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh’s removal from the post and the promise of fresh elections have been one of the key demands of wrestlers who have accused the six-time BJP MP of sexually assaulting and coercing sportswomen. On June 25, wrestlers announced the decision to end their protest and continue the fight in court, citing the government’s progress in the process of holding elections.