Now, I do not have anything to do with wrestling: Brij Bhushan

Former WFI chief reacts after the sports ministry suspended the newly elected Executive Committee

- Shantanu Srivastava

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the erstwhile president of now-suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), announced his 'retirement' from wrestling on a day that saw sports ministry swinging into action and suspending the newly-elected Executive Committee (EC) of WFI. The federation's daily operations will now be handled by an ad-hoc committee to be formed by Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Sports ministry's actions come just three days after Brij Bhushan-backed Sanjay Singh panel won the WFI polls, taking 13 of the 15 seats on offer. The remaining two positions, that of vice president and secretary general, went to candidates propped up by the protesting wrestlers as part of the compromise formula agreed upon by both parties and mediated by the ministry. Hours after assuming presidency, Sanjay held a meeting with the office bearers in which the new secretary general, Prem Chand Lochab, was not invited. The federation then announced the dates and venue for under-15 and under-20 Nationals that were put off since March.

Noting WFI's unilateral call and the violation of Article XI and Article X (d) of its constitution, the ministry concluded that the "newly elected body appears to be in complete control of former office bearers in complete disregard to the Sports Code while suspending the EC.

It has been learned that Brij Bhushan, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj constituency, sought an appointment from Home Minister Amit Shah but couldn't secure it. He then met BJP president JP Nadda and soon distanced himself from the WFI controversy.