Congress attacks BJP govt after Delhi Police verified charges against Brij Bhushan

New Delhi, July 11 After a Delhi Police report claimed that it has verified the charges of six top wrestlers against BJP MP and former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned why the BJP-led central government is silent over the issue.

In a tweet in Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Law and ethics say that one who is accused of atrocities against women should be removed from his post, fair investigation should be carried, arrest should be made and he should be punished in the court of law.

"But in the BJP government, why is the accused of harassing the women players, who have brought laurels to the country, protected? Why is the matter being suppressed, why is the matter being hushed up in the investigation? Why is the whole government silent on this matter? Why is the accused still in BJP and why no action has been taken?" the Congress leader asked.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress social media and digital platform chairman, Supriya Shrinate said, "Delhi Police in its charge sheet has accused BJP MP Singh of sexual harassment, stalking and intimidation."

She said that the police have asked the court to take action to prosecute and punish Singh.

Targeting the government, she said: "Ironically, women wrestlers had also made allegations of sexual harassment against Singh in front of the committee constituted in January 2023, but the committee ignored the allegations. Not only this, even in the report submitted to the Sports Ministry, the committee remained silent on the allegations against Singh."

She further said that when the wrestlers were humiliated, they went to the banks of river Ganges in Haridwar to submerge their medals but even then the government did not make any appeal to them.

Firing salvos at the government, Shrinate said, "Will the government not break its silence even after the charge sheet of Delhi Police on Singh? Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi still not speak anything? If there was any morality in this government, then the protection would have been given to the daughters and not to the accused."

Posing questions to the Prime Minister, the Congress leader said, "Why Modi ji is silent on the issue of sexual harassment against women sportspersons? When will Modi ji expel MP Singh from the party? When will Singh be arrested and when will the Modi government stop giving protection to Singh?"

The remarks from the Congress leaders came after a news report claimed that the Delhi Police has alleged that Singh molested and stalked, and he is liable to be prosecuted.

On July 7, Delhi's Rouse Avenue court had summoned Singh, a BJP MP, in connection with the allegations of sexual harassment made by the country's leading female wrestlers.

The court took note of the charge sheet filed in the case, responding to the claims made by six women wrestlers.

As per the summons, Singh was asked to appear before the court on July 18. Additionally, Vinod Tomar, former Assistant Secretary of Singh, was also been summoned by the court.

The Delhi Police's charge sheet running over 1,000 pages was filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mahima Rai of Rouse Avenue Courts for the offences under Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (making sexually coloured remarks), 354D (stalking) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) against accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

In the FIR registered at Connaught Place police station, it has been alleged by the six adult grapplers that Singh allegedly attempted to coerce one athlete into sexual acts by offering to provide her with "supplements", invited another wrestler to his bed and hugged her, as well as assaulting and inappropriately touching other athletes.

--IANS

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