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Take leave and join them for the nation: Arvind Kejriwal after meeting protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar Wrestlers Protest
Image Credit: UNI

Take leave and join them for the nation: Arvind Kejriwal after meeting protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | 29 Apr 2023, 06:19 pm

New Delhi/IBNS: After Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday met wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh over alleged sexual harassment and expressed solidarity with the athletes.

"If you love your country then join their protest. Whether you are from BJP or Congress or AAP, take leave for two days and come here to join the protest if you love the nation," Kejriwal said after meeting the athletes at Jantar Mantar.

He said Brij Bhusan Singh is so powerful that it took seven days and the Supreme Court to file an FIR against him and hence it is quite clear that if they (wrestlers) were not on protest path the wrongdoing against the women would have continued.

Earlier, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the wrestlers protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh here and accused the government of trying to save Singh.

She also demanded removal of Singh from the post of WFI chief stating that she feels the latter would use his position to influence the investigation.

Several wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik resumed their protest at Jantar Mantar here on Sunday against Singh accusing him of sexual harassment

"There is a serious allegation against this person. First, he should resign from the post (of WFI chief).Till he holds the post. He will keep pressurising," Vadra told reporters after she met the wrestlers in an apparent reference to Singh.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the matter, she said, "I don't have any hope from the PM. If he was bothered, he should have called them and spoke to them. When they won medals he then called them."

"The government is trying to save this person (Singh)," Vadra said.

In January, the Sports Ministry formed an Oversight Committee to enquire into the allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment and/intimidation, financial irregularities and administrative lapses, levelled by prominent sportspersons.

The Ministry instructed the executive committee of WFI to abstain from managing the day-to-day activities of the federation during the course of the enquiry.

Earlier this week, a petition was filed by seven wrestlers in the Supreme Court seeking registration of an FIR against the WFI chief.

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