Mayawati, Akhilesh urge Centre to give justice to protesting wrestlers

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati on Monday expressed solidarity with the protesting wrestlers, and urged the Centre to come forward to "provide justice to India's daughters".

Yadav also accused the BJP dispensation of giving "Beti Bachao" slogan only for garnering votes. "India's daughters, who have brought glory to the nation in the field of wrestling, are forced to agitate demanding action against the Wrestling Federation of India chief over serious charges of sexual harassment. The central government must come forward to provide justice to these daughters," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

विश्व कुश्ती में भारत का नाम रौशन करके गौरवपूर्ण स्थान पाने वाली भारतीय बेटियाँ कुश्ती फेडरेशन आफ इण्डिया के प्रमुख पर शोषण के गंभीर आरोपों के विरुद्ध कार्रवाई की माँग को लेकर आन्दोलन करने को मजबूर हैं। इन बेटियों को न्याय दिलाने के लिए केन्द्र सरकार को जरूर आगे आना चाहिए।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) May 29, 2023

The country's top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and Asian Games gold winner Vinesh Phogat, have been demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

"The BJP is violating the Constitution and the law of the land. When they wanted votes, they gave the slogan of 'Beti Bachao' (save daughters). Now when they are in power, they are humiliating our daughters and dragging them on the streets," the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief told reporters.

"The saffron party gives flashy slogans to mislead the public. The whole country is watching how the BJP government is humiliating the daughters who brought laurels for the country. In the next elections, these women will take the BJP out of power," he claimed.

The Delhi Police has filed two FIRs against Singh, one of which relates to allegations by a minor grappler and has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while the other is related to sections pertaining to outraging of modesty.

Singh, a BJP MP, has rejected the allegations and offered to undergo narco analysis and polygraph tests provided the protesting wrestlers also submit to the same.