Going by the recent developments at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party seems inclined to dump medal-winning wrestlers in favour of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh due to the latter’s loyalty to the BJP and the political clout he wields in a few Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh.
https://thewire.in/rights/brij-bhushan-singh-wrestlers-protest-sexual-harassment
With 2024 parliamentary elections in mind the BJP is, therefore, unlikely to take any political risk by sacking Singh as WFI chief or starting disciplinary proceedings against him within the party even though the charges against him are grave. Any other person facing similar accusations would have been stripped of his position and possibly even jailed.
There cannot be a bigger irony than India’s ace wrestlers being treated like criminals while someone with a long criminal record himself is being given a long rope.
The wrestlers’ protest is now into its fourth month, and they seem nowhere near getting justice. It appears that they will find it difficult to bring down a man with such reputation and political support. Return their medals they can but will it move the government into taking any action? Or will it even prompt the Delhi police to expeditiously complete their investigation in an impartial way?
by Atul Chandra
15/05/2023