Modi govt facing test from India's daughters: Congress on sexual harassment charge against Brij Bhushan Singh

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" over the sexual harassment charge against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and said the government is facing a test from India's daughters.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate asked when will Prime Minister Modi expel Singh, who is also the outgoing Wrestling Federation of India chief, from the BJP and when will he be arrested.

Delhi Police on June 15 filed a charge sheet against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the offences of sexual harassment and stalking six women wrestlers and also recommended the cancellation of a complaint filed by a minor wrestler against him.

"Why is Prime Minister Modi silent on the issue of sexual harassment against women sportspersons? When will Modi ji expel MP Brij Bhushan Singh from the party? When will Brij Bhushan Singh be arrested? When will the Modi government stop giving protection and patronising Brij Bhushan Singh," Shrinate asked.

"You and your government are facing a test Mr Modi, not from the Opposition but from India's daughters," the Congress spokesperson said.

She claimed the Delhi Police, in its charge sheet, has accused Singh of sexual harassment, stalking and intimidation and has asked the court to initiate action to prosecute him.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a tweet in Hindi, said that going by law and ethics, a person accused of atrocities against women should be removed from his post, fair investigation should be done, he should be arrested and punished in the court of law.

"But in the BJP government, why is the one accused of atrocities against women players who brought laurels to the country protected and why is the matter being hushed up during investigation? Why is the entire government silent on this matter? Why is the accused still in the BJP and why no action has been taken?" she asked.

कानून और नैतिकता कहती है कि महिलाओं के साथ अत्याचार करने वाले आरोपी को उसके पद से हटाया जाए, निष्पक्ष जांच हो, गिरफ्तारी हो और अदालत में उसे सजा दिलवाई जाए।

लेकिन भाजपा सरकार में देश का मान बढ़ाने वाली महिला खिलाड़ियों के साथ अत्याचार करने वाले आरोपी को बचाया क्यों जाता है,…

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 11, 2023

Shrinate said women wrestlers had levelled sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan Singh to the oversight committee constituted in January. But the panel ignored those. Not only that, even in the report submitted to the Sports Ministry, the committee remained silent on the allegations, she claimed.

Humiliated, the wrestlers went to the Ganges to throw their medals in it. Even then the government did not appeal to them, the Congress leader said.

"Will the government not break its silence even after the charge sheet of Delhi Police against Brij Bhushan Singh? Will PM Modi still not speak? If this government has any morality, then protection would have been given to the daughters and not to the accused," Shrinate said.

She claimed that 15 of the 108 people the Delhi police spoke to during the investigation have confirmed the charges of sexual harassment, stalking, threatening and intimidation against Brij Bhushan Singh.

"Yet, it is ironic that the six-member oversight committee set up by the government under the chairmanship of Mary Kom ignored these very allegations. During the hearing in February, the wrestlers made allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh while testifying before the Oversight Committee set up by the government," she said.

"Will the government continue to remain silent and protect the accused even after the charge sheet is filed? The BJP, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur will remain silent. They open their mouth only to spew venom against Rahul Gandhi," the Congress spokesperson said.