Congress leaders hit out at central government for ‘shielding’ WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during an interactive session at the National Press Club in Washington. PTI

The Congress slammed the central government on Friday for their “inaction” against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Rahul Gandhi said while daughters who had won international medals are pleading for justice on the streets, an MP with “heinous allegations” was safe under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “protective shield”.

In a tweet in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi said, “Daughters who brought 25 international medals — pleading for justice on the streets! MP with 15 heinous allegations of sexual abuse in two FIRs — safe in prime minister’s ‘suraksha kavach’!”

He added that the central government was responsible for the plight of the wrestlers.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi also hit out at the Modi government and asked why no action was being taken.

Details of the two FIRs against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh were released on Friday by a media outlet. It alleged Sharan Singh had demanded sexual favours and there were inapprorpiate touching, intimidation, stalking and groping by the WFI chief towards female grapplers including a minor.

Tagging the details of the FIRs against Singh, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Read these serious allegations and tell the country why no action has been taken against the accused till now?”

Congress MP Deepender Hooda tagged a media report and said, “Speechless! What else is left after this? How will someone’s blood not boil after reading this?”

“BJP trolls today, before writing against me, must think that if your sister and daughter were in place of these girls, would you have been able to tolerate this? If the accused is a BJP MP/minister, will the FIR also be registered when the Supreme Court orders?,” he said.

The two FIRs were registered on 28 April at the Connaught Place Police Station on the orders of the Supreme Court. The FIRs have charged Singh under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including assaulting a woman to outrage her modesty (section 354), sexual harassment (354A) and stalking (354D), that are punishable with jail terms of two-three years. On the basis of complaint made by the father of a minor, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been invoked. It entails a prison term of up to seven years on conviction.

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