Wrestlers’ Protest: Who Was Pointing Angrily At P T Usha's Face At Jantar Mantar?

Days after condemning the ongoing wrestlers’ protests for indiscipline and tarnishing the image of the country, famed athlete, Rajya Sabha MP, and Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha visited the protest site at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, 3 May. 

At the venue, she expressed solidarity with the cause of the protestors.

Notably, on 27 April, in a meeting of an ad-hoc committee to overview the administration of WFI, PT Usha had stated to the media with reference to the protests – “This kind of agitation is not good for the country’s image and amounts to indiscipline. This negative publicity is not good for the country. We want to be with any athlete who has represented India, but under the rules, regulations, and law of the land.” 

While this statement of hers had drawn flak from the protesting wrestlers who said they felt let down, Usha herself visited the protest site and spoke to the top wrestlers yesterday. 

“Initially, when she said that, we felt very bad but then she said that her comments were misinterpreted. She said that she is first an athlete and then an administrator and that she is with us,” said Bajrang Punia, the Olympic wrestler, on PT Usha’s visit to the site. 

Wednesday, 3 May’s night saw reports of a police scuffle at the protest site.

However, before this, a video did the rounds on social media which showed Usha being heckled at the protests site. A video of the wrestling site showed a woman waving a finger at the face of Usha and speaking in a harsh tone to the IOA president. Following this, Usha was taken away from the site with police escort.

Reports have now emerged which claim that the woman in the video is one Sudesh Goyat. According to this report, Goyat has been involved with more than one protest. Notably, the report credits Goyat with inspiring women in rural Haryana to take part in the ‘farmers protest’ of 2021. 

Readers may be reminded that by January 2021 the 'farmers protest' was seeing participation of organisations and people that were seen a threat to national security.

Goyat has been regularly seen with the wrestlers in their current round of demonstrations. 

The wrestlers’ protests alleging sexual misconduct against WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh began in January this year. The Sports Ministry has then announced the formation of a five-member oversight panel, led by Mary Kom, to investigate the allegations.  

Reports also state that the scuffle with Delhi Police on Wednesday night was followed by calls for intensifying the protests by Bajrang Punia, and with another top wrestler Vinesh Phogat saying “she will return all her medals". “We are being humiliated, dragged to the ground," Phogat further alleged, in reference to allegations of scuffles with the police at the protest site.