Sexual harassment charge against WFI chief: ‘Is this the better environment for sports created by Modi govt?’ asks Congress

हमारे खिलाड़ी देश की शान हैं। विश्व स्तर पर अपने प्रदर्शन से वे देश का मान बढ़ाते हैं। कुश्ती फेडरेशन व उसके अध्यक्ष पर खिलाड़ियों ने शोषण के गंभीर आरोप लगाए हैं। इन खिलाड़ियों की आवाज सुनी जानी चाहिए।

आरोपों की जांच कर उचित कार्रवाई की जानी चाहिए।

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) January 19, 2023

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh stated, “The list of BJP leaders who have committed atrocities on daughters is endless. Was ‘Beti Bachao’ a warning to save daughters from BJP leaders! Prime Minister, please answer.” He further asked: “Mr Prime Minister, why are all those who commit atrocities on daughters from the BJP?”

Ramesh also said, “Yesterday, you said that a better environment has been created for sports in the country. Is this the ‘better environment’ in which even the daughters who bring laurels to the country are not safe?”

Mr. Prime Minister, why are all those who oppress women members of BJP?

Yesterday you said that a better environment has been created for sports in the past 8 years. Is this the ‘better environment’, in which even our daughters who bring laurels to the country are unsafe?

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 19, 2023

Inaugurating a sports event in Uttar Pradesh via video conference on Wednesday, PM Modi said, “Many talents remained away from the field. But in the last eight years, the country has left behind this old thinking. Work has been done to create a better environment for sports, so now more children and youths are looking at sports as a career option.”

Hundreds of wrestlers have been protesting against the WFI chief at Jantar Mantar asking for his resignation. Addressing the media, Vinesh Phogat, the country’s only double World Championship medallist, said, “Women wrestlers have been sexually harassed at national camps by coaches and also the WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan. Some of the coaches appointed at national camps have been sexually harassing women wrestlers for years. The WFI president is also involved in sexual harassment.”

Sharing the dais with Vinesh and endorsing the allegations, India’s lone Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik said, “We have just come to save them. We are fighting for them. When the time comes, we will speak up. We will give the names of those who have been exploited to whoever is doing the probe.”