Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, extended his support for the continuing protest by wrestlers over claims of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Saturday. He travelled to Janta Mantar in the national capital and urged people to take time off of work to support the disgruntled wrestlers and participate in their demonstration there.
#WATCH| Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal meets wrestlers protesting against WFI chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar pic.twitter.com/6ZvA4a3VTS
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) April 29, 2023
“Those who love our country, whether they are from Congress, AAP or BJP and even if not affiliated with any party, must take off and come here to extend support to them (wrestlers),” the Aam Aadmi Party supremo stated standing alongside Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, the three prime characters in the protest against the BJP’s member of parliament.
“Just think about the fact that there is someone so powerful that it took a week-long struggle and the intervention of the Supreme Court to get an FIR registered against him. If these children had not taken this head-on, wrong-doing would have gone on with our daughters,” he continued.
The CM remarked, “They are not fighting for themselves, they are fighting for the entire sports fraternity. My heart says their struggle will earn them success.” He also appealed to the central government to not ‘stop water and power’ from reaching the protest arena. “I will do whatever I can to help them as the chief minister of Delhi,” he assured.
#WATCH| Delhi: "Those who love our country, whether they're from Congress, AAP or BJP and even if not affiliated with any party, must take off and come here to extend support to them (wrestlers)…": Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at Jantar Mantar pic.twitter.com/MFxQEkDPsU
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) April 29, 2023
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev have also come forward in support of the wrestlers.
However, the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and former track and field athlete, PT Usha criticised them and noted, “Indian Olympic Association is having a committee for sexual harassment, instead of going to the streets they (protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier but they didn’t come to IOA. It isn’t good for sports not only for wrestlers. They should also have some discipline.”
Around four months after the arraignment of sexual harassment and hours after the Supreme Court heard the case, the Delhi Police filed two first information reports (FIR) on Friday night in connection with the allegations which named the six-time parliamentarian as an accused.
Following their first demonstration in January, the wrestlers have established camp in Delhi to assert their demands once again. The IOA and the government were able to appease the wrestlers by promising to look into their grievances.
The IOA established a seven-member committee under the leadership of M C Mary Kom to look into the charges before the wrestlers decided to end their protest. The union sports ministry had also suspended Vinod Tomar, the Additional Secretary of the Wrestling Federation.
Now, the wrestlers are contending that prior attempts made by the ministry and a probe by an oversight committee mandated by the government have not contributed to a resolution or assisted the victims.
The WFI chief has expressed his contentment with the court’s decision and voiced that he will cooperate in the investigation. “I am not only content with the decision but also I agree with it because I am a citizen of this country and the Supreme Court is the apex court in this country. We cannot disagree with or raise questions on the court. We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court,” he emphasised.
He also attacked the wrestlers for frequently switching positions. “Their demand changes every now and then. You should consider the agitation right from the beginning. At that time they demanded that the WFI president should resign. After that, they brought up the issue of sexual harassment. After that, they demanded that the government should conduct an inquiry,” he argued.
“Even if I resign, they will say that he is not favouring anybody by resigning, as anyways his term was already over. You tell them to start their practice and stop this protest, I send my resignation to you. If you are asking me to resign, I can resign, but not as a criminal,” he added.
Rs 45 crores of public exchequer spent on the renovation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence
A recent investigation by Times Now Navbharatfound that the official bungalow of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Civil Lines was renovated at a cost of almost Rs 45 crore. The report, termed “Operation Sheesh Mahal,” said that Rs 44.78 crore of taxpayer funds were utilised for the renovations, raising questions about the Aam Aadmi Party’s commitment to promoting austerity.
The channel obtained documents that indicate the curtains at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence were priced at around Rs 5-8 lakh per piece.
According to the documents, 23 curtains were approved for installation at the residence of Delhi CM and AAP national convenor, with a total cost of Rs 97 lakhs.
Imported from Vietnam, the marble used for the renovation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence cost around Rs 3 crores. The flooring was done using ‘Deor Pearl Marble’, known for its superior quality. Additionally, Rs 21,60,000 was spent on the chemical adhesive used to fix the marble.
The documents also reveal that a sum of Rs 40 lakhs was spent on installing six almirahs at the official residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
