BJP standing with WFI chief emboldening criminals to commit atrocities against women: Cong

PTI, May 29, 2023, 6:23 PM IST

The Congress on Monday claimed the BJP’s alleged support to its MP and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was emboldening criminals to commit crimes against women such as the one in which a girl was stabbed and then bludgeoned to death with a slab in northwest Delhi.

The Opposition party also slammed the BJP-led central government over filing of FIRs against protesting wrestlers by the police while waiting for a week to book Singh for alleged sexual offences.

At a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress leader Alka Lamba also claimed the reactions to a photo tweeted by Union minister Smriti Irani from the new Parliament building’s inauguration were ”hidden” on her social media account after some users posted photos of the wrestlers being allegedly manhandled by the police.

She also alleged the BJP’s IT department tampered with the photos of wrestlers through an app and tarnished the image of the country’s players.

Lamba accused the BJP of indulging in character assassination and trying to ”sell lies”.

Referring to the brutal stabbing of a 16-year-old girl in full public view in northwest Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy area, Lamba said the question is from where the criminals are getting this kind of courage.

”The BJP MP has an FIR of POCSO against him and when action is not taken and the BJP stands with such people, criminals get a boost as they believe that the government will stand with them,” she alleged.

Lamba called for the arrest of Singh, asserting if action is not taken against him, the confidence of criminals will be further boosted.

Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed also lambasted the government, saying that when women wrestlers were being ”manhandled”, an offender was sitting in Parliamant, an apparent reference to Singh.

”It took one week to file an FIR against a sexual offender and few hour to file FIIR against those who did us proud by winning medals,” she said.

She also hit out the BJP dispensation over the wrestlers not being allowed to protest at Jantar Mantar and alleged that the government was acting in a dictatorial manner.

Released late last night from police detention, the wrestlers are still contemplating their next move even as they continued to get support after police action against top grapplers was unequivocally condemned by political and sports personalities.

Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sangeeta Phogat, Sakshi Malik and several others were detained by Delhi police on Sunday when they attempted to move towards the new Parliament building for women’s ‘Mahapanchayat’.

Disturbing videos of police action against elite wrestlers emerged from Jantar Mantar, which will now remain out of bound for them. The wrestlers are demanding arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing women grapplers. He has denied all charges.