Uttarakhand Taekwondo Student’s ‘Bribe’ Claim Sparks Row; Later Video Gives Different Account

 

A Class 12 student’s emotional account of missing an international Taekwondo tournament has triggered a political controversy in Uttarakhand after the Congress alleged that she was asked to pay a bribe. A subsequent video by the student, however, offered a fuller account and did not describe the money as a bribe.

Shayra, a student of CNI Girls School, raised the issue during Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Vidyarthi Manthan’ programme in Dehradun on August 10.

Speaking before the Chief Minister and cameras, Shayra said she had won a gold medal at a national Taekwondo competition and was subsequently selected to participate in an international tournament. However, she said she could not participate because she was unable to arrange Rs 1.5 lakh.

The student became emotional while narrating her experience. Dhami consoled her and directed officials to collect details about her school and examine the matter.

Congress Alleges Bribe Demand

The Congress subsequently interpreted Shayra’s remarks as an allegation that she had been asked to pay Rs 1.5 lakh as a bribe to participate in the international event.

The party criticised the BJP-led Uttarakhand government and alleged that corruption had prevented a national-level gold medallist from representing India internationally.

The Congress also claimed that the live broadcast of the event was later removed from the social media accounts of the government, the Chief Minister and the BJP.

However, Shayra’s remarks at the programme did not explicitly identify the Rs 1.5 lakh as a bribe, nor did she name any individual or official as having demanded the money.

Student’s Later Video Clarifies Account

Shayra later released another video explaining that she had not been able to complete her account while speaking before the Chief Minister.

According to her later explanation, she had travelled to Jammu for the national championships, where she was selected for an international tournament in Romania.

She said the organisation associated with the event had agreed to cover approximately Rs 1.70 lakh of the expenses. She was required to arrange the remaining Rs 1.5 lakh herself.

Shayra said she had not informed her school or other people about the opportunity at the time. As a result, she could not arrange the remaining amount and was unable to travel to Romania for the tournament.

Her subsequent explanation did not allege that the Rs 1.5 lakh was a bribe or that a government official had demanded the money.

Instead, she described the amount as her share of the expenses required to participate in the international competition.

Political Controversy Continues

The contrasting interpretations of Shayra’s initial remarks and subsequent clarification have turned the incident into a political issue in Uttarakhand.

While the Congress has used the incident to question the state government over alleged corruption and support for sportspersons, the student’s later account presents the Rs 1.5 lakh as a contribution towards tournament-related expenses rather than an alleged bribe.

The episode has also raised questions about the importance of providing timely financial and institutional support to young athletes selected for international competitions.