Chandigarh: The Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party (BJP-JJP) coalition government in Haryana is under fire from opposition leaders and khap panchayats over sexual harassment allegations made by India’s top wrestlers, most of them from the state, against former Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
While the wrestlers, led by international medal winners Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, are currently on an indefinite protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to demand Singh’s arrest, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, as well as BJP and JJP leaders in the state, have mostly maintained silence on the issue.
“The allegations levelled by these players are grave. Their complaints should be promptly and impartially investigated so that justice is done,” state leader of opposition and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda told ThePrint over phone Wednesday.
Hooda added that the protesting wrestlers had brought medals for the country and earned fame for Haryana, but now that they are fighting for justice, the state government wasn’t listening to their grievances.
The former Haryana CM, who had visited the agitating wrestlers on 25 April in a show of support, pointed out that the sportspeople sitting on dharna were from Haryana and had brought glory to the state, as well as the nation, in the international arena.
He also criticised the Khattar government for allegedly tweaking the sports policy of the erstwhile Congress government in Haryana and “denying plum posts in the Haryana Police to sportspersons”.
Hooda’s son and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda, earlier president of the Haryana Wrestling Association, has also visited the wrestlers’ protest site more than once, on one occasion with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi.
In a press note issued after his latest visit to the dharna site on 29 April, Deepender alleged that the “entire system in the present dispensation in the country has put all its strength to protect just one person (Singh)”.
He added: “The very fact that the wrestlers are forced to sit on dharna once again after three months puts a question mark on the government’s intentions. Those who are trying to shield the WFI president or are silent on this issue are equally to blame for the injustice being done to the sportspersons”.
Phogat Malik and Punia have been leading a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since last Sunday. This is the second time this year that the wrestlers have gone on protest against Singh.
The first protest was in January and ended only when the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) stepped in to look into the allegations against Singh. The sports ministry constituted an oversight committee (OC) to probe the matter and also manage the day-to-day functioning of the WFI.
After the formation of the OC, Singh was asked to “step aside” from the post of WFI present.
The OC was supposed to complete its probe within four weeks, but took almost three months to submit its report to the sports ministry. Sources told ThePrint that the report was submitted around the first week of April. There’s been no intimation from the ministry as to when the findings will be made public.
Singh was recently booked by the Delhi Police under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for the harassment complaint made by a minor, as well as on charges raised by other women wrestlers.
The BJP MP has denied the allegations against him and claimed them to be politically motivated. He had accused the protesters of being pawns of the Congress.
Speaking to The Print Wednesday, a senior Haryana BJP leader termed the wrestlers’ protest “a conspiracy against Singh by former CM Hooda and his son”.
“Deepender Hooda was president of the Haryana Wrestling Association and was aspiring to become the WFI chief, but Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh did not let his designs succeed. Brij Bhushan has also said time and again that all the wrestlers protesting against him were from the same akhara (training centre for wrestlers) and the patron of that akhara is Deepender Hooda,” he alleged.
Asked why the BJP was not responding to the opposition’s allegations and the wrestlers’ charges, the BJP leader said it was a “sensitive issue and no one liked to speak on it”.
ThePrint reached Amit Arya, media advisor to Haryana CM on phone for comment, but received no response. The copy will be updated once a response is received.
In January, CM Khattar, while talking about the allegations made by the wrestlers against Singh had said “all issues raised by the wrestlers will be taken seriously” and “safety of our women athletes is very important”. Deputy CM and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala had also spoken on the matter at the same time, saying he demanded a thorough probe into the charges.
Khap panchayats root for wrestlers
Not just opposition leaders, the state’s khap panchayats too have come out in support of the protesting wrestlers.
Representatives from many of the panchayats visited Jantar Mantar last week and offered their support to the sportspersons.
A meeting of Sarva Samaj Sarva Khap on the issue was held at Swami Dayal Dham in the state’s Charkhi Dadri last week, which was attended by representatives from the Phogat Khap, Sangwan Khap, Satgama Khap, Chiriya Khap, Haveli Khap and Sheoran Khap.
Speaking to ThePrint over phone Wednesday, Balwant Singh Phogat, president of Phogat Khap, said the khaps had submitted a memorandum to the Charkhi Dadri deputy commissioner, addressed to the president of India, demanding Singh’s arrest.
Tek Ram Kandela, president of Kandela Khap in Jind, added that “all khaps from Haryana are standing with the wrestlers”.
“These are young boys and girls who have brought laurels to the country by their hard work and dedication. The government must listen to them and ensure that not only are the perpetrators of sexual harassment on our daughters booked, but also put behind bars,” Kandela said.
Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Singh Chautala, who is currently his ‘Parivartan Padyatra’ (walk for change), has also extended support to the wrestlers by visiting Bajrang Punia’s residence and the protest venue last week. He has also hit out at the BJP-JJP government in the state for “not helping the sportsperson in getting justice”.
Meanwhile, adding to the ongoing controversy, a scuffle broke out between the protesting wrestlers and Delhi Police personnel late Wednesday, with the demonstrators alleging that the policemen attacked them after an argument over occupying vacant spots at the protest site.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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