INVC NEWS
New Delhi – : Efforts are being made to resolve the wrestlers’ dispute before the Prime Minister’s visit to America due to several reasons. Firstly, the government is concerned about the deteriorating international image of India as a result of the controversy surrounding the allegations of sexual harassment leveled by women wrestlers against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former President of Wrestling Federation of India. The government has been emphasizing that the wrestlers’ voices are being heard and that the legal process is being followed.
The viral pictures of wrestlers being dragged on May 28 further escalated the issue and added to the government’s worries. Consequently, the government has restarted its efforts to settle the dispute promptly. The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, and the Union Sports Minister, Anurag Thakur, have both met with the wrestlers to initiate discussions.
Reliable sources indicate that the government aims for an FIR (First Information Report) to be filed in the matter, and the Delhi Police have already begun their investigation. If the allegations against the accused are proven through the legal process, appropriate punishment will be sought from the court. However, the government is also urging an end to unnecessary political rhetoric and sit-in demonstrations, as they believe such actions tarnish India’s international image.
The Delhi Police investigation is reaching its final stages, and a report is expected soon. The situation surrounding this issue is increasingly uncomfortable for both the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The viral pictures and the involvement of Khap Panchayats in the dispute raised concerns about a potential farmer’s movement-like situation and the possibility of anger among Jat voters towards the BJP.
The BJP relies heavily on women voters, and the risk of their support being affected by the allegations of sexual exploitation against women wrestlers was growing. Even BJP’s women MPs found it challenging to respond to the issue. Pritam Munde, a woman MP from the BJP, expressed the need for immediate consideration of the wrestlers’ complaints. Other BJP MPs also had to address the matter in their respective parliamentary constituencies and provide similar statements.
