Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday reached Delhi’s Jantar Mantar where India’s top wrestlers have been protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and claimed that he was ready to give blood, if needed, for the justice of grapplers.
The wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, have been demanding the arrest of the WFI chief, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party MP, charged with sexual harassment of athletes.
“If you need strength, I will give you strength; if you need blood, I will give you blood,” said Surjewala, who hails from Haryana, as he met the protesting wrestlers.
“I extended full support to the daughters and noted wrestlers who have been protesting for the last 26 days at Jantar Mantar demanding justice for the atrocities committed against them. We are with these daughters with our thoughts, words and deeds in this struggle,” Surjewala also tweeted in Hindi.
“My direct question to the prime minister is that the daughters who returned after winning medals, were your family members then. You didn’t hold back in building your image in the whole country by making video calls to them from thousands of miles away,” he added.
Now they are sitting a few kilometres away from your residence in bad weather for the last 26 days, Surjewala said.
“Leave alone listening to them, you want to get their peaceful dharna removed through police excesses. Instead of taking action against the accused, why have you kept silent on such a serious matter?” he said.
“Modi ji, you give the slogan of women empowerment and Beti Padhao-Beti Bachao all over the country. The reality of your slogan is visible at Jantar Mantar for 26 days,” the Congress general secretary said.
In a tweet in Hindi, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Sportspersons who have brought laurels to the country by winning medals have been demanding justice for more than four months, but the prime minister is trying to save his MP.” He urged Modi to break his silence on the issue.
Delhi Police says SIT constituted
The Delhi Police last Friday informed a special court in Delhi that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the allegations of sexual harassment levelled by women wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president.
The Delhi Police has also recorded the statement of Brij Bhushan, as well as the statement of the WFI’s assistant secretary Vinod Tomar.
Last month, the Delhi Police registered two FIRs against the WFI chief.
