"Condemnable...," CM Stalin on police action against wrestlers

CHENNAI: Condemning that protesting wrestlers were "dragged" by the Delhi Police on a day when the Prime Minister was dedicating a new Parliament building to the nation, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday criticised the BJP-led Centre for not taking any action against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, CM wrote in Tamil, “It has been several months since female wrestlers filed sexual complaints against a BJP member of Parliament. The party leadership has not taken any action against him so far. Female wrestlers continue to battle it out in the capital”.

He further wrote that during the inauguration ceremony of the new building of the Parliament, it is condemnable that those who protested were “dragged and arrested”.

“This shows that the sceptre (Sengol) was bent on the first day. Is it morally right to stage anarchy on the inauguration day, ignoring the President himself and being ignored by all the opposition parties?” Stalin further tweeted.

Tamil Nadu CM was referring to the sacred ‘Sengol’ installed in the new Lok Sabha chamber, right next to the Speaker’s chair, on Sunday. Before it was installed in the new Parliament building, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was handed over the historic ‘Sengol’ by Adheenams. The ‘Sengol’ marked the transfer of power from the British to the Indians in 1947.

On Sunday, Sakshi Malik and her fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat were detained by Delhi Police while attempting to march to the new Parliament building where the protesting wrestlers planned to stage a demonstration.

The wrestlers had announced that they planned to hold a women’s Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament as part of their protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan who has been accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers. Seven women wrestlers have filed a police complaint against him.