Amid outrage over the Centre’s inaction against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Congress on Wednesday took a dig at Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani and BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi over their silence on the sexual harassment complaints against the WFI.
Congress released a poster on Twitter of Smriti Irani with the word “missing” written in big, bold letters. Congress’ dig at the minister comes at a time when India’s top wrestlers are protesting for over a month demanding Singh’s arrest over sexual harassment complaints.
In a subsequent tweet, Congress took a jibe at Irani and Lekhi both over their continuous silence over the wrestlers’ protest. Captioned “Beti Bachao”, the post claimed that while Irani hides her tweet over protesting women wrestlers, Lekhi makes a run on being asked to comment on it.
Advertisement
In a viral video, the minister of state for culture, who has been an advocate for women’s rights, was seen running away from reporters when asked to comment on the top wrestlers’ plan to immerse their medals in river Ganga in Haridwar. Lekhi was asked, "What do you have to say on the protesting wrestlers?" to which she replied, "Legal process is going on," as she hastily ran towards her car.
Neither Irani nor Lekhi has said a word about the wrestlers’ protest that has been going on since January and was renewed in April.
Union minister Smriti Irani responding sharply to Congress tweet said, "O divine political creature," she said she was in Amethi, and anyone looking for the former MP of the area, could "contact US", in a probable reference to Rahul Gandhi.
Advertisement
The Congress also claimed the ruling party’s slogan of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' now means 'Beti BJP ke netaon se bachao (save daughters from BJP leaders)'. The grand old party criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not even making an appeal to the protesting wrestlers to not throw their medals in the Ganga.
Wrestlers were persuaded against immersing their medals by Khap and farmer leaders. They agreed to a 5-day timeframe for the Centre to resolve their issue.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress MP Deepender Hooda said, "These medals are their life, they represent their struggle, their families' sacrifices and the nation's pride. What kind of a cruel government is this? We want to ask the prime minister and government as to why they did not even urge the wrestlers not to throw their medals."
On Sunday, protesting wrestlers were removed from Jantar Mantar, where they had been protesting for a month, by Delhi Police after they tried to march to the new Parliament building during its inauguration. They were detained after an altercation with the police but released later.
