Human Rights Commission’s strong stance on sexual harassment, notice to 15 sports organizations including WFI, BCCI
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New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken note of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and four other sports organizations for not having an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to deal with allegations of sexual harassment. It issued a notice to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The NHRC has sent notices to the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Cricket Board of India (BCCI), the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and several other national sports federations on reports that they have no internal complaint mechanism as per law. There is no committee. Not only this, it has even been said in the notice that some have committees, then they are not working properly. The notices come at a time when several wrestlers are protesting at Jantar Mantar against WFI President and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment of female wrestlers. The wrestlers are demanding his sacking and arrest.
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The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that there is no Internal Complaints Committee in the Wrestling Federation of India, as mandated under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013. According to the NHRC statement, ‘WFI is not the only sports body allegedly not having a duly constituted ICC. There are 15 out of 30 National Sports Federations in the country which do not fulfill this essential requirement.
The commission found that the media report, if true, is in violation of the law and may affect the statutory rights and dignity of the players. The Commission has written to Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, SAI, BCCI, WFI and 15 other national sports federations (handball, volleyball, basketball, weightlifting, yachting, gymnastics, table tennis, billiards and snooker, kayaking and canoeing, judo, squash, triathlon, , Kabaddi, Badminton, Archery) have been issued notices. They have been asked to submit a detailed report within four weeks. Wrestlers Protest: Now national wrestling camp will be held in Patiala, not Lucknow, is there any connection with Brij Bhushan Singh controversy?Wrestlers Protest: Let them fight their fight … What did Sourav Ganguly say on the protest of wrestlersWrestlets Protest: Why does Mahavir Singh Phogat want to return his medal? Know the real reason for the performance of the wrestlers