"As A Woman, I...": BJP MP Says "Expect Action" On Wrestlers' Protest

Amid the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's alleged studied silence on escalating protests demanding the immediate arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP's Maharashtra MP Pritam Munde today said cognisance should be taken of a complaint made by any woman.

Later, authorities can decide whether the complaint is proper or not, Ms Munde told reporters in Maharashtra's Beed district on Wednesday, adding that she expects action to be taken in the present case.

"I, not as a member of Parliament, but as a woman, say that if such a complaint comes from any woman, then its cognisance should be taken. It should be verified," Ms Munde said, according to news agency PTI.

After verification, authorities should decide whether it is proper or improper, she said, adding that "If cognisance is not taken, then it is not welcomed in democracy."

Referring to the top global wrestling body, the United World Wrestling (UWW)'s "disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations" against the federation chief and a threat to suspend the Indian federation if its elections are not held within 45 days, Ms Munde said "it will be a publicity stunt" if she demanded an inquiry committee, as the cognisance of this case is now being taken at an international level.

"Even though I am a part of this government, it has to be accepted that the way the government should have communicated with the wrestlers has not happened," Ms Munde said.

"For the BJP, the country comes first, then the party, and the self comes last. But even if it's last, one's individual thoughts are important. It may be the government of any party in any state, I believe that attention should be paid if any big movement of this level is going unnoticed," she added.

Earlier, Haryana BJP MP Brijendra Singh called the protest 'absolutely heartbreaking' as the wrestlers recently threatened to immerse their medals in the river Ganga. They were stopped by farmers' union leader Naresh Tikait.

"I feel the pain and helplessness of our wrestlers, forcing them to the brink of throwing away their lifetime of hard work- the medals from Olympics, CWGs, Asian Games in the holy Ganga. Absolutely heartbreaking," Brijendra Singh tweeted.

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday urged the protesting wrestlers to be patient and have faith in the Supreme Court, the Sports Ministry, and Delhi Police.

The Delhi Police have said the cases filed by women wrestlers are still under consideration and status reports are being filed before the court. It would be against the procedure to say anything before the report is submitted to the court, the police said on Wednesday after deleting three tweets on the case.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said the way protesting Indian wrestlers were treated by the Delhi Police during their protest march was "very disturbing" and that allegations by the wrestlers should be followed up on by an unbiased, criminal investigation.

Brij Bhushan Singh on Wednesday said he will hang himself even if a single allegation is proven against him.

Notably, Pritam Munde's sister Pankaja Munde, who is a former Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary, has said she belonged to the BJP but the BJP did not belong to her. The remarks, along with the fact that Pritam Munde did not get a ministry in the Centre, and Pankaja Munde was ignored in the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis cabinet, have triggered speculations that all is not well between the BJP and the Munde family.

"I belong to the BJP. If I have a problem with my father, I will go to my brother's house," Pankaja Munde said, referring to the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) led by Mahadeo Jankar.

Mr Jankar, a close associate of Gopinath Munde, said, "Our community will not benefit due to my sister's party as the remote control will be with someone else."

The Munde sisters are daughters of late senior BJP leader and former Union minister Gopinath Munde who died in a car accident in 2014.