Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the wrestlers who have been on protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar today, backing their demand for action against the alleged sexual exploitation of women athletes. The wrestlers have been on a sit-in demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on complaints of sexual harassment.
At the protest venue, the Congress general secretary hit out at the Delhi Police for not providing a copy of the First Information Report, or FIR, filed against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
"When these girls get medals, everyone tweets, say they are our country's pride but now when they are sitting on the road and seeking to be heard, saying they have been wronged, no one is ready to listen to them. If FIRs have been filed, their copy should be shared with them," she said.
The Congress general secretary also called Mr Singh's ouster from the post so that he is unable to "exert pressure" on the wrestlers and hamper their careers. "See, there are serious allegations against this person, he should first resign and be removed from the post. Till he is in that post, he will continue to exert pressure and keep destroying people's careers. If that person is there on a post through which he can destroy the careers of wrestlers, harass them and exert pressure, then what is the meaning of FIRs and investigation," she said.
The Delhi Police on Friday filed two cases against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief after the wrestlers complained to the Supreme Court. One of the FIRs is over a complaint of sexual harassment by a minor, filed under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which rules out bail.
But despite the assurance of police action, the wrestlers said they will continue their sit-in protest, demanding the "immediate arrest" of the WFI chief. "We respect the Supreme Court's order, but we don't have faith in the Delhi Police. This fight is not for an FIR. This fight is to punish people like him. He needs to be in jail and stripped of his portfolios," the wrestlers said.
Earlier this week, Priyanka Gandhi slammed the government, asking whether it wants to shield the guilty.
The Congress general secretary had also said that the appeals of the sportspersons were being ignored, and asserted that "when the arrogance of a party and its leaders is sky-high, then such voices are crushed".
Congress leaders such as Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender Hooda and Udit Raj also joined the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar earlier this week.
Mr Singh, who is also a BJP MP, welcomed the Supreme Court's order to file the police case into allegations of sexual harassment against him.
He told reporters the wrestlers should have waited for the report of a committee that was tasked to look into the matter before they decided to sit on a protest in Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
"I am happy with the judiciary's decision. The Delhi Police will investigate the allegations, and I am ready to cooperate with them in every possible way. No one is bigger than the judiciary in this country. The order has come to file an FIR (first information report). The government had also said it had no objection to filing an FIR. I am not larger than the Supreme Court. I welcome the order," Mr Singh told reporters.
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