Delhi HC issues notice to Centre on plea challenging govt's 'discriminatory' policy in rewarding Deaflympics medallist

New Delhi [India], Feb 18 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to Centre and others on a petition filed by a specially-abled wrestler challenging the 'the discriminatory policy of the Government of India in rewarding the medalist of Deaflympics'.
Justice Navin Chawla asked Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Sports Authority of India to file reply on the petition filed by four-time gold medalist in wrestling freestyle in International Deaf-Olympics, Virender Singh, through his advocate Ajay Verma.
In his plea, Singh, popularly known as 'Goonga Pehlwan' has sought the quashing of policy for rewarding the medallist of Deaflympics events as far as it differentiates with the policy for rewarding medallist of para-olympics events.
Singh told the court that he is a deaflympic champion wrestler of international repute with 100 per cent speaking and hearing disability as assessed by the Lok Nayak Jai Parkash Narayan Hospital in Delhi.
He has challenged the "discriminatory" policy of the central government in rewarding the sportspersons and sought to formulate policy for rewards, and pensions for sportspersons saying that current policy is discriminatory for deaf sports persons with the sports persons of Para Olympic category.
He also sought direction to respondents to extend the benefit of the policies and all other schemes formulated by the respondents for rewarding the medallist in International Para Olympics event to the petitioner and sportspersons who are medallists in International Deaf Olympics sports events.
The plea also sought direction to the respondents to include the petitioner and other sportspersons of the Deaf Olympic category in the Scheme Of Sports Fund For Pension To Meritorious Sportspersons (amended as on June 7, 2018) at par with the sportspersons of Para-Olympics category. (ANI)