New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit the streets Wednesday in solidarity with the country’s wrestlers who have brought sexual harassment charges against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Led by top grapplers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, the athletes have recently intensified their protests against lack of action against Singh, even threatening to throw their Olympic and Asian Games medals in the Ganga. Starting Tuesday, the athletes also gave the central government a five-day ultimatum to arrest the BJP leader.
Banerjee said Wednesday that the country was proud of the wrestlers, as she led a rally from Kolkata’s Hazra to Rabindra Sadan. She said the rally would continue Thursday to ask for justice for the seven women – including a minor – who have brought these charges against Singh.
She said candles would be lit Thursday in front of the statue of legendary Bengali footballer Gostha Pal, who she said “played football barefoot to protest colonial rule”. “I spoke with the wrestlers yesterday. I pledged my support to their fight. I will send a team to participate in their protest,” the Trinamool Congress leader said.
Earlier Wednesday, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur asked the wrestlers to wait for the Delhi Police to complete its probe into the allegations against Singh. He asked them not to take any steps that would harm the sport or the future of aspiring wrestlers, who are preparing for upcoming games.
“We formed an oversight committee on their suggestion to probe the charges. The Delhi Police filed FIRs. They went to the Supreme Court. But they keep changing goalposts. Every allegation is always probed. You have to trust the ministry, the police, the Supreme Court… We too want an impartial probe and proper action after that… The WFI president has stepped aside,” Thakur said.
At a rally in the morning, Brij Bhushan Singh called the wrestlers’ threat to drown their medals an “emotional drama”, and vowed to hang himself if the allegations against him were proved.
Olympian boxer and Congress leader Vijender Singh said no mother would now send their daughters to play a sport if such allegations crop up.
Also read: Party silent, BJP MP Brijendra Singh tweets in support of wrestlers again — ‘can feel their pain’