From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Centre’s indifference towards the protesting wrestlers is baffling as Delhi Police has not taken any action based on their complaint. What is surprising is the audicity of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh holding press conferences, accusing the Congress and the wrestlers of conspiring against him to discredit him.
Has he not been a MP of the BJP from UP, he might have even ben in jail by now on the accusations of the sexual harassment by seven women, including a minor.
Instead of feeling ashamed, he has not yet appeared before Police to register his statement since registering two FIRs against him and even the Supreme Court intervention has not prompted Dlhi Police to arrest him.
This is symptomatic of the malaise which has inflicted the police system (and even threatens the judicial system), which, if allowed to continue, can lead to its collapse. It smacks of partisanship of the highest order, and exposes the hypocrisy of a government which gloats about its programme of thee girl child: Beti Padhao, beti bachao.
This also reflects the fact that some of those who take great pride in the Hindu ethos of very exalted status of women and quote the shloka, ‘yatra naryastu pujyante, ramante tatra devata’ (where women are honoured, divinity blossoms there) are duplicitious in practice.
In case of sexual harassment, the law is explicit that the word of the woman is sufficient to arrest the accused. A sexual harassment charge is criminal in nature, and the wheels of justice should have moved immediately; instead, the government formeed a committee led by renowned boxer Mary Kom to probe the allegations. The intent was clearly to find a political solution.
The government further exposed itself by not making public the findings of the committee, which were submitted in the first week of April. Babita Phogat, a member of the committee, has alleged that she was not allowed to read the report,
Dissatisfied with the government’s response, the protesting wrestlers knocked on the Supreme Court’s door, where the Delhi Police unashamedly has said that if the court desired an FIR could be lodged the same day itself. It took four months and prodding from the top court made Delhi Police file two FIRs, both naming Singh as accused.
It is obvious that the police is not interested in pursuing this case — but what is it that makes it so brazen?
Ideally, the police should have arrested Singh in January itself. But two things worked for him. One, he is a BJP MP who is supposedly very close to a powerful minister in the Union Cabinet. Two, he belongs to the politically-powerful community of the Rajputs. In Uttar Pradesh, they are very influential and the BJP does not want to upset them.
Singh himself is a seasoned leader, and can impact electoral fortunes of the BJP in four/five Lok Sabha seats around Gonda district.
A third reason is that the Delhi Police is allegedly a compromised force. Many senior officers in it are either eyeing post-retirement sinecures or are those who toe the government’s ideological line without questioning. These police officers either do not take cognizanc of complaints against the ruling alliance, or when it does, it is in no hurry to do its job.
No surprise that Delhi Police is disinclined to arrest singh despite the top court’s intervention. This is not possible unless itt has clear instructions from the top hierarchy. The fact remains that Delhi Police reports to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who sees disadvantage in upsetting the Rajputs’ votes by ordering arrest of Singh.
