- Saturday, March 01, 2025
The attack came a day after the matter escalated as the wrestlers reached Haridwar in the northern state of Uttarakhand on the banks of the Ganges, threatening to immerse their international medals in the river.
By: Shubham Ghosh
Former Indian law minister and lawyer Kapil Sibal on Wednesday (31) slammed the Narendra Modi government over the issue of allegations of sexual harassment levelled by some of the country’s top wrestlers against the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, asking whether POCSO and immediate arrest apply to all accused other than the wrestling body’s president because he is a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He also asked in a tweet that iconic women wrestlers don’t matter but the votes.
Brij Bhushan Singh :
Does application of POCSO and immediate arrest after 164 statements apply to all accused other than Brij Bhushan
Because he :
1)Belongs to BJP
2)iconic women wrestlers don’t matter ; votes matter !
3) Government doesn’t careIs this my new India ?
— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) May 31, 2023
POSCO or Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act was passed by the Indian parliament in 2012 to effectively address the evil of sexual exploitation and abuse of minors.
The attack by Sibal, a former leader of the Indian National Congress who is currently a parliamentarian and represents the protesting wrestlers in the Supreme Court, came a day after the matter escalated as the athletes reached Haridwar in the northern state of Uttarakhand on the banks of the Ganges, threatening to immerse their international medals in the holy river but stopped short of doing so after being convinced by farmer leaders who sought five days to address their grievances.
Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat arrived at Har ki Pauri to protest the inaction against the WFI chief, who has allegedly sexually harassed several women grapplers.
In a tweet, Sibal said, “Brij Bhushan Singh: Does application of POCSO and immediate arrest after 164 statements apply to all accused other than Brij Bhushan because he: 1) Belongs to BJP 2) iconic women wrestlers don’t matter; votes matter! 3) Government doesn’t care.
“Is this my new India,” Sibal asked.
Sibal, who has also been a federal minister when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was in power and led many ministries besides law, quit the grand-old party in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha or Upper Chamber of the parliament as an Independent member with the support of the Samajwadi Party.
He recently floated the non-electoral platform ‘Insaaf’, aimed at fighting injustice.
Last month, the Delhi Police registered two FIRs against Singh.
The first FIR pertains to allegations levelled by a minor which has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning outraging modesty. The second one has been registered over complaints by adults pertaining to outraging modesty.
On May 28, the Delhi Police detained Malik along with world championships bronze winner Vinesh and Olympic medallist Bajrang, and later filed FIRs against the wrestlers for violation of law and order.
(With PTI inputs)
