Top wrestlers launch protest as Phogat reveals BJP MP-cum-WFI chief sexually exploited sportswomen, coaches

News Network
January 19, 2023

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New Delhi: Top Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Anshu Malik and Bajrang Punia are among a group of sportspersons who have accused Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Kaiserganj, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of sexual harassment and physical abuse.

Singh is president of the Wrestling Federation of India. He has denied the allegations and told ANI that if such a thing has indeed happened, he will “hang” himself. In 2021, Singh had been caught on video slapping a wrestler at the Under-15 Nationals in Ranchi.

The wrestlers, who sat in an unprecedented protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, pointed to Singh’s alleged “dictatorship” in running the federation, noting that mistreatment of wrestlers had been going on for years. Among the 30 gathered were also Sarita Mor, Sangeeta Phogat, Satyawart Malik, Jitender Kinha, and Commonwealth Games medallist Sumit Malik, according to India Today.

“Women wrestlers have been sexually harassed at national camps by coaches and also the WFI president,” Vinesh Phogat said, stressing that the WFI president is also involved in the sexual harassment of “so many girls.”

Some coaches who the federation considers “favourites” misbehave with women coaches too, Vinesh said.

“Today I have said this, I don’t know if I will be alive tomorrow. People in WFI are very powerful,” Vinesh was quoted by Indian Express as having said.

Part of Haryana’s Phogat wrestling family, Vinesh is the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in both Commonwealth and Asian Games. She has multiple golds from the World Wrestling Championships. Vinesh’s cousin, wrestler Babita Phogat and her uncle, Mahavir Phogat, had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2020.

Vinesh reportedly said that she had been trying to get the federation to listen to her concerns for a decade now. She told ANI that she and other wrestlers are ready to “submit evidence” to the prime minister and any high court that might ask for it.

“This is not fair and we have been silently tolerating this. But not anymore,” Bajrang Punia, who has won Olympic Bronze, told Indian Express.

Punia also added that wrestlers have taken care not to involve politicians in their protest, but told the news agency PTI that while their grouse was not against a political outfit or the Sports Authority of India, this was going to be a “fight to the finish.”

“Wrestlers are being harassed by the Wrestling Federation of India. Those who are a part of WFI know nothing about the sport,” Punia told reporters as well.

Wrestler Sakshi Malik, also an Olympic medalist and related to the Phogats, said that the wrestlers are ready to “speak to the prime minister and home minister to reveal details.”

“Whole federation should be removed so that the future of new wrestlers is safe. A new federation should come into existence,” she said.

MP Singh has responded to the allegations by asking Vinesh Phogat why she wore “a costume with a company’s logo on it” at the Olympics.

“Is there any person in front who can say that the Federation harassed any athlete?” he asked news agency ANI. He also said that there has been “no incident of sexual harassment” and that he would hang himself if such a thing has happened. 

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 7,2025

Bengaluru, July 7: In a significant public health move, the Karnataka government has decided to classify sudden deaths among individuals under 45 years of age as a 'notifiable disease' — requiring mandatory reporting and autopsy — amid rising concerns and speculation linking such deaths to Covid-19 vaccines.

Announcing the decision on Monday, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the government would begin systematically monitoring such cases to determine the actual causes. "If someone dies suddenly outside a hospital, it must be reported to the government, and an autopsy will be mandatory," he said.

The decision follows recommendations from an expert committee led by Dr. C.N. Ravindranath, Director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research. The panel was tasked with investigating the rise in sudden cardiovascular events, including possible links to Covid-19 vaccination.

The committee, however, found no direct link between vaccines and cardiac deaths among the youth. Dr. Ravindranath explained that while there was a 5–6% rise in cardiac deaths post-Covid, the causes were multifactorial — primarily lifestyle-related, with smoking accounting for over half of the cases.

Minister Rao also clarified that no mRNA vaccines, which have been associated with rare myocarditis cases abroad, were administered in India. He reiterated that Covid-19 vaccines saved lives, and panic over vaccine safety was unwarranted.

The government is expected to issue formal directions soon regarding the classification and mandatory autopsy procedures.

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News Network
June 27,2025

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New Delhi, June 27: Former US President Donald Trump on Thursday hinted at a potentially “very big” trade deal with India, weeks after closed-door negotiations between the two countries concluded in Washington.

Speaking at the Big Beautiful Event at the White House, Trump said, “We just signed with China yesterday. We have some great deals. One may be coming up with India — a very big one.” He added that the US would not pursue trade deals with every country, suggesting a selective, strategic approach.

The four-day negotiations focused on expanding market access, reducing tariffs, and addressing non-tariff barriers across industrial and agricultural sectors. The Indian delegation was led by Commerce Ministry’s Rajesh Agrawal, while the US side was headed by officials from the Office of the US Trade Representative.

Sources say the proposed deal aims to boost bilateral trade from $190 billion to $500 billion by 2030.

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed that talks are ongoing to strike a “fair, equitable, and balanced” agreement. “PM Modi and President Trump met in February 2025 and agreed on the importance of a mutually beneficial trade pact,” he said.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick also indicated that the deal could be finalized soon, noting that both countries are finding common ground.

US-China Deal Also Signed

Trump also mentioned a new trade agreement with China, signed a day earlier, focused on accelerating rare earth shipments to the US. According to a White House official, the pact includes a framework tied to the Geneva agreement, following a period of heightened tensions and stalled trade between the two countries.

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 7,2025

Udupi, July 7: In yet another instance of targeted cyber fraud, a 25-year-old student from Udupi, currently pursuing his master’s degree in Dublin, Ireland, and his father lost over ₹1 lakh to a scamster impersonating an Indian Embassy official.

The victim, Sandesh, who has been studying in Ireland since 2024, received a call on June 30 around 6:05 PM from an unknown person claiming to be an official from the Indian Embassy. The caller warned Sandesh that his Irish Residence Permit (IRP) application had a discrepancy in his date of birth. He further threatened that unless corrected immediately, his passport would be placed under the "Yellow group," leading to potential legal consequences.

Panicked and trusting the caller, Sandesh shared scanned copies of his Aadhaar card, birth certificate, and voter ID to an email address provided by the fraudster. The caller then instructed him to transfer money in phases for "verification purposes," assuring him it would be refunded.

Sandesh transferred ₹58,533 from his own Paytm account. When he hit his transaction limit, he contacted his father, Srikant (66), who resides in Kinnimulki, Udupi. Without suspecting foul play, Srikant transferred ₹33,588.10 via Paytm and ₹67,075.60 via Google Pay — bringing the total amount lost to ₹1,00,663.70.

The family became suspicious when the caller demanded more money. Realizing they had been scammed, they lodged a complaint at Udupi Town Police Station, which has now registered a case under Section 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.

Police and cybersecurity experts are urging Indian students abroad and their families to be cautious when dealing with unsolicited calls, especially those that demand urgent payments or sensitive personal data.

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