Former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, who is currently jailed in Tihar jail, expressed his bewilderment over the silence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the ongoing protest by wrestlers at Jantar Mantar. In a note shared on Twitter by AAP minister Atishi, Sisodia accused the BJP and the Prime Minister of treating the wrestlers as if they were from Pakistan.
The note, written in Hindi, urged the Prime Minister to ensure justice for the wrestlers who have accused BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment. Sisodia highlighted the lack of response from the BJP, the Central government, and the Prime Minister himself, stating that their silence was akin to treating the women as if they were from Pakistan.
Sisodia pointed out that it was only after the Supreme Court’s intervention that FIRs were finally registered in the case. Prominent wrestlers, including Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, have been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar since April 23, demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment of seven women wrestlers, including a minor.
Sisodia recalled the time when the wrestlers returned to India as proud medal-winners, with the Prime Minister posing for photos and videos with them. He questioned whether no action would be taken against Singh solely because he belonged to the ruling party.
The former Deputy Chief Minister criticized the Prime Minister’s indifference to the wrestlers’ plight, despite once considering them as family. He asked how the Prime Minister could remain silent when these athletes faced sexual harassment, speculating if it was because the accused was a powerful Member of Parliament from his own party.
Sisodia alleged that over the past eight years, the BJP-led Central government had stifled the constitution and obstructed the work of the Delhi government by using its agencies, even imprisoning its ministers in false cases.
In the ongoing case, the Delhi Police has filed two FIRs against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The first FIR pertains to the allegations made by the minor wrestler and has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while the second FIR is related to outraging modesty.
Singh has denied the allegations and offered to undergo narco analysis and polygraph tests if the protesting wrestlers also agree to undergo them.
