Jailed AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Saturday said he was baffled by “deafening silence” from the BJP, the Centre, and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ongoing wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.
The former Delhi deputy chief minister expressed distressed over their ongoing protest.
“What baffles me is the deafening silence from the BJP, the central government, and even the Prime Minister himself, as if these women are from Pakistan. It was only after the intervention of the Hon’ble Supreme Court that an FIR was finally filed in this case,” Sisodia said in a note from Tihar Jail on wrestler’s protest.
In the letter, Sisodia appealed to Modi to ensure justice to the grapplers who have brought immense pride to India.
“Mr. Prime Minister, we may be political opponents, but what you are doing to our daughters is not justified. Over the last eight years, you have stifled the Constitution, you have used every agency, every means at your disposal to hinder our work and unjustly imprison us in false cases,” he said.
“You can continue to send your political adversaries to jail, you subject them to persecution, even hang them if you want, for that seems to be your way of conducting politics. But I implore you, at the very least, provide justice to these daughters who have brought immense pride to India. Your failure to do so will discourage any talented daughter from daring to raise her voice against powerful individuals in this nation,” Sisodia said.
Several ace grapplers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar accusing the WFI chief of sexual harassment and demanding his arrest.
On May 19, the wrestlers had marched from Jantar Mantar to Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in New Delhi on their 25th day of protest against Brij Bhushan.
Grapplers including Punia, Sakshi, Vinesh and others joined the march demanding the arrest of the WFI chief charged with sexual harassment of athletes.
The protestors have been demanding the registration of an FIR against the WFI chief and his arrest into the allegations of sexual harassment. Two separate FIRs were registered on April 28 following the Supreme Court’s notice to Delhi Police into the plea filed by the wrestlers.
