Manish Sisodia reacts to wrestlers' protest from jail, questions BJP's 'deafening silence'

By Ashutosh Mishra: Jailed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia on Saturday reacted to the ongoing wrestlers' protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. In a written statement released from jail, Sisodia questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s "deafening silence" on the matter.

Wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and others, have been staging a protest against Wrestlers Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, levelling sexual harrassment allegations against him.

Brij Bhushan is a BJP MP who has refused to resign from the post of WFI chief. Taking a dig at PM Modi, Sisodia wrote, "Over the last eight years, you have stifled the Constitution, you have used every agency, every means at your disposal to hinder our work and unjustly imprison us in false cases."

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He also questioned PM Modi's silence on the matter, saying he is reacting as if the protesting women are from Pakistan. "I'm sure we all remember the time when these wrestlers returned to India as proud medal-winners, and the Prime Minister hurriedly posed for photos and videos with these talented athletes. So much so, that the athletes would receive phone calls from the PM, and the videos of their conversation would be widely shared on social media," he wrote.

Sisodia said PM Modi is indifferent to the plight of protesting wrestlers. "As these courageous young women leave behind their training and responsibilities at home to protest under scorching sun and pouring rain, the Prime Minister remains indifferent to their plight," he wrote.

Sisodia lauded the women wrestlers for elevating India's pride globally. He said his "blood boils with anger", as he sees the wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar. "Please provide justice to these daughters who have brought immense pride to India," he wrote.

The AAP leader reiterated his stance on the Centre's silence over the matter, and said if these women are not given justice, no woman will dare to raise her voice against powerful individuals in the nation.

Earlier in April, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended his support to wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and said those who harass women should be hanged.

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