Arvind Kejriwal meets protesting wrestlers at Delhi's Jantar Mantar
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met wrestlers protesting against the sports federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over alleged sexual harassment and asked people to support the country's top athletes in their protest.
The Delhi Police yesterday filed two first information reports (FIRs) against the Wrestling Federation of India chief following a Supreme Court order and after the wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, among others, approached the court alleging police inaction for a long time.
The wrestlers have not called off their week-long protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar; they want Singh, who is also a BJP MP, to be arrested.
"The athletes have made India proud on the international stage. But for a week they have been forced to protest at Jantar Mantar. Why? Because a big politician allegedly did wrong things to women and our sisters who have made the country proud," Mr Kejriwal, standing amidst the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, told reporters.
"Every citizen who loves this country stands with the wrestlers," Mr Kejriwal said, adding the central government should help the wrestlers in their fight against the BJP MP.
"All these women players who have brought laurels to the country are our daughters; they must get justice. No matter how powerful the accused is, he should be given the harshest punishment," Mr Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Singh has denied the allegations and doubled down on his own defence by refusing to resign from the wrestling body as it would then mean he has accepted the allegations.
"I am totally innocent. I will cooperate with any inquiry... Their (protesters) demands are changing constantly. Resigning would mean accepting the charges. Resignation is not a big deal but not as a criminal, I am not a criminal," Singh told reporters.
The wrestlers' protest has also been seen as turning political with several opposition leaders and others from Haryana - most of the wrestlers' home state - turning up to show support at Jantar Mantar.
Apart from Mr Kejriwal, they include the Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, khap panchayat leaders, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, among others.
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had formed the committee to look into the allegations against the WFI and its chief. The committee, which was told to give a report to the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry, had given it on April 5. But the ministry has not yet made public the findings of the six-member committee.