Provide justice to wrestlers, Sisodia writes to PM from jail

NEW DELHI: Former deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Saturday urged PM Narendra Modi to provide "justice" to the wrestlers sitting on a dharna at Jantar Mantar, demanding the arrest of BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly "sexually harassing" seven women grapplers, including a minor.
In a note written from Tihar jail, Sisodia said he was "baffled" by the "defeaning silence" of BJP, its government and the PM over the issue of the wrestlers' protest, as if they were from "Pakistan".
"You can continue to send your political adversaries to jail, you subject them to persecution, even hang them if you want...But I implore you, to at least provide justice to these daughters who have brought immense pride to India," he said, adding that the failure to do so would discourage girls from raising their voices against powerful individuals.
No reaction was available from BJP.
Top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, have been sitting on a dharna at Jantar Mantar since April 23. Following directions from the Supreme Court, Delhi Police registered two FIRs against Singh on May 4 - one related to allegations by the minor wrestler under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and the other connected with outraging modesty. Singh, however, has rejected the allegations and expressed his willingness to undergo narco and polygraph tests, provided the protesting wrestlers did the same.
Sisodia said there was a time when the PM considered the wrestlers as his family, spoke to them cheerily when they won medals and videos of their phone calls were shared widely on social media. "How can he remain silent when they face sexual harassment? Is it because the accused is a powerful MP from his own party?" Sisodia asked.