NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday said that representatives from 360 villages in Delhi will gather at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday to show their support for the protesting wrestlers. “In the first phase, starting from Wednesday, representatives from Delhi’s 360 villages will arrive at Jantar Mantar to support these players and to outline their plan for moving ahead from Jantar Mantar,” said Gopal Rai, AAP’s Delhi state convenor.
In addition to this, the legislators and councillors representing the party in the rural areas of Delhi will also reach the protest site in solidarity with the grapplers. The wrestlers have been protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment accusations from female wrestlers.
Speaking on the wrestler’s protest, Rai said that if the government did not pay heed to the wrestlers’ demands then these representatives will plan to spread this movement in every village of the country.
He further asserted that if the Central government is in any kind of confusion that they will turn down the demand being raised by the players, then they should know that now the villagers are also gearing up for this movement.
“Nations’ daughters, who bring the laurels for the nation, have spent the past nine days in the extreme weather conditions,” added Rai. Rai added that Modi, who once took pride in these athletes, is now unable to hear the voices of the daughters of this nation who have been protesting for the past nine days at Jantar Mantar.
Drawing the parallel between wrestlers and farmers’ protests, Rai said, “ The PM is remaining silent, the sports minister is still unwilling to listen to them, and the entire BJP is actively spreading misinformation about them.”
“The ways in which the farmers’ movement has been disparaged in every which way and how efforts have been made to undermine their morale,” he added. The protesting wrestlers have demanded criminal action against WFI president Singh for alleged sexual harassment and intimidation of seven wrestlers, including a minor.
The Delhi Police filed two FIRs against the WFI president on Friday on allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by seven women wrestlers. The protesting wrestlers had moved the Supreme Court seeking registration of an FIR against the WFI chief.
Meanwhile, Vinesh, the biggest face of the wrestlers’ protest, claimed that twice in the past sexual harassment cases were reported during the national camp but the Wrestling Federation of India succeeded in sweeping the matter under the carpet.