NEW DELHI: India’s top wrestlers, protesting at the Jantar Mantar, have reportedly refused to take the protection cover that was supposed to be given by the Delhi Police, saying that if they are not safe at Jantar Mantar then they will not be safe anywhere.
On April 28, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for the wrestlers at the Supreme Court, had placed on record an affidavit in a sealed cover that apprehended a threat to the safety of the minor girl who had levelled charges of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Sources confirmed to this newspaper that the wrestlers who are protesting at the Jantar Mantar, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, have refused the Delhi Police’s security. However, it is still unclear whether the complainant wrestlers have also denied police security or not. The sit-in protest by wrestlers entered the eleventh day today.
Earlier this week, the Delhi Police provided security to all seven women wrestlers, including a minor, who had lodged a complaint of sexual harassment against Brijbhushan Sharan Singh. This came after India's top court ordered the Delhi Police to provide appropriate security to the victims.
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The day witnessed Deependra Hooda and farmers’ leader Rakesh Tikait at the protest site as they extended their support to the wrestlers. Hooda, while reaffirming his support to the wrestlers, slammed the WFI chief and said, “..if these history-sheeters, accused of such heinous crimes, think that by taking my name without any reason, we will leave the company of our daughters, then it is their big misunderstanding.”
He said that it is not possible for him to remain silent and that someone is continuously exploiting our sportswomen. “Not me, the whole country is standing with the daughters. Will get them justice,” said Hooda.
Tikait, too, extended his support and reached Jantar Mantar earlier in the day. “This government does not believe neither in the constitution nor in the law. They have created an atmosphere of fear,” Tikait said.
Sports min tried to hush up matter: Vinesh
Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday alleged that complaints related to sexual harassment have been hushed up in the past by the WFI and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur did the same by forming an oversight panel instead of taking concrete action.
Vinesh claimed that twice in the past sexual harassment cases were reported during the national camp but the WFI swept the matter under the carpet.
“Before we started our protest, three months back, we had explained everything to a government official about how sexual harassment was taking place. We waited for three-four months but when nothing happened, we came to Jantar Mantar. When we met the sports minister, the women wrestlers shared individual incidents related to sexual harassment. Sports minister tried to hush up matter yet again by forming a committee,” said Vinesh.