BHUBANESWAR: Even as the war of words between the ruling BJD and BJP intensified, the BJD on Wednesday raised the issue of alleged sexual harassment and criminal intimidation of women wrestlers by the saffron party MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Addressing a media conference here, party spokesperson Ipsita Sahu alleged that when the women wrestlers who have brought laurels for the country by winning medals in international competitions sat on a dharna at New Delhi, the state BJP leaders remained silent. Sahu alleged that though the women wrestlers demanded action against their coach, there was no action against him. The case was taken seriously only after the intervention of the Supreme Court.
Sahu alleged it is an irony that state BJP leaders are now championing the cause of women in Odisha. It would have been better if the BJP leaders had demanded justice for the women wrestlers instead of targeting the Odisha government which is known for bringing in women empowerment.
The BJD has launched a campaign against the Union minister ever since his statement on Tuesday that ‘Shashikala syndrome’ in the state government has affected governance in Odisha. Sahu alleged that the BJP had also insulted women leaders Barsha Singh Bariha and Deepali Das while campaigning for the Padampur and Jharsuguda bypolls.
The BJP leaders should work to give justice to women in the entire country instead of focusing on targeting the Odisha government. If the BJP leaders do not change their attitude, the party will continue to lose all elections in the coming days, she said.