Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress leader Udit Raj and others join wrestlers’ protest

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress leader Udit Raj were among the leaders who visited Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Tuesday to extend their support to the protesting wrestlers.

Top Indian wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik are protesting against Wrestling Federation Of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other coaches for allegedly sexually assaulting women wrestlers.

Hooda had tweeted on Monday, “It is a matter of great regret that international level players who have brought laurels to the country have to sit on dharna, they should get justice. I myself will go to the protest site at Jantar Mantar in Delhi tomorrow.”

In a video, posted by news agency ANI, several wrestlers can be seen with the politicians including Hooda.

Earlier on Tuesday, All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) acting President Netta D’Souza had visited the protest site. She spoke to the women wrestlers. Visuals of teary-eyed wrestler Sakshi Malik speaking to her were shared on Twitter.

D’Souza had tweeted, “Wrong happened with these daughters who raised the glory of the country, everyone raised their voice against wrong, but what did they get? Where justice should have been meted out, tears were found and the Prime Minister and his coterie, who give tall tales on women’s safety, are sitting silent to save BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Let me remind this government – ‘History is always made on the edges of swords, the way youth moves, that way the world moves’.”

This comes a day after Punia said all political parties were welcome at the protest site.

“All parties are welcomed, be it the BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party or any other party. When we win a medal, we don’t wave any party’s flag but only the Indian flag. When we win medals, everyone. Not just one party comes forward to congratulate us, and neither are we affiliated with a single party. We are a part of this country and all Indians are welcome to join the protests. If we don’t fight for the women of the country then we can’t fight against anything,” Punia had told reporters on Monday at Jantar Mantar.

Punia on Tuesday also said that seven women, who had been allegedly sexually assaulted by Brij Bhushan, were being forced to retract their complaint. He further alleged that several members of the WFI had approached the complainant wrestlers and had offered them money.

The wrestlers returned to Jantar Mantar three months after the women wrestlers sat on protests, in January, levelling sexual harassment charges against the WFI president and other coaches. The wrestlers claimed that the promises that were made to them were not held up and their demands had not been fulfilled despite assurances.

In January, CPI(M) Leader Brinda Karat, who had come to support the wrestlers’ protest, was asked to step down from the stage. The wrestlers had earlier maintained that they did not want to make the protests political. It was then said that no politician would be allowed to speak on the stage. Punia had then said, “We don’t want the protest to take a political shape”.