BJP women MPs come out in support of grapplers
Two BJP Lok Sabha MPs, Pritam Munde from Maharashtra and Maneka Gandhi from Uttar Pradesh have broken ranks and come out in support of the protesting women wrestlers, saying that their complaints should be immediately considered.
Prominent BJP MP and women’s rights activist Maneka Gandhi has come out in support of the protesting wrestlers, a day after her party colleague in the Lok Sabha from Maharashtra, Pankaja Munde did so.
Gandhi joined her colleague in demanding justice for the grapplers in their fight against the Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment charges.
On Tuesday, top wrestlers such as Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat had gone to Haridwar along with their supporters to throw their medals into the Ganga, as part of their protest, but relented after khaps (as panchayats in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh are called) and farm leaders sought five days’ time to address their grievances.
Delhi Police has filed two FIRs against Singh. While the first FIR relates to allegations by a minor wrestler and has been registered under the POCSO Act, the second is related to outraging modesty.
“Whenever a woman makes a complaint as serious as this, it should be taken into consideration. The concerned authorities should thoroughly investigate the matter. … If some women wrestlers are raising a serious issue, it should be immediately considered,” Pritam said in Beed, her constituency, on Wednesday. Pritam is the daughter of the late senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde.
