Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 22: Taking the bull by its horns, the agitating wrestlers have accepted the challenge of the Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to under “narco” test and said it should be taken under the supervision of the Supreme Court with live streaming by the national television.
Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, wrestler Vinesh Phogat and others on Monday accepted Singh’s challenge of undergoing narco-analysis test to ascertain the truthfulness of wrestlers’ sexual harassment allegations against the former WFI president.
The WFI chief in a social media post on Sunday said he was ready to appear for a narco-analysis or polygraph test to prove his innocence on condition. “I am ready to undergo narco test, polygraph test or lie detector test, but my condition is that Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia should also undergo these tests with me. If both the wrestlers agree to undergo it, call a press conference and make announcement. I promise them that I am ready for the test,” he posted.
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who has been leading the protest against Singh, said, “I would like to tell Brij Bhushan that not only Vinesh, all the girls who have given the complaint, are ready to undergo the Narco test. It should be done live, so that the entire country knows about his cruelty to the daughters of the country,” Vinesh Phogat said at a press conference on Monday.
Bajrang, sitting alongside Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat at protest site in Jantar Mantar, said, they had agreed to the wrestlers taking the Narco test earlier as well. It should be monitored by the Supreme Court, and telecast live for the entire country, he said. “He (Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh) asked only for two of us to take the Narco test. All seven complainants will also take the test. We are ready. We would like to see what questions are being asked,” Punia said, accusing the Wrestling Federation chief of “misleading” the people.
The wrestlers’ protest has grown in volume, with farmers from Haryana joining in to show support. Earlier, a khap panchayat meeting in Haryana’s Meham passed a resolution demanding that Mr Singh undergo a narco test and face legal action. Several ace grapplers, led by Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik, have been protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since April, demanding Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s arrest. The MP has denied any wrongdoing and accused the wrestlers of framing him.
On April 29, two separate police cases were registered, after the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Delhi Police. The police have filed a status report and told the court that a Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the matter.
Vinesh on her part said whole country should know what kind of injustice they have faced for years now. “The whole country should know what kind of atrocities and injustice we faced. He is not a star but a sexual harassment accused so please treat him accordingly,” Vinesh added.
The protesting wrestlers will take out another round of candlelight march from Jantar Mantar to India Gate. “As you are aware our protest turns one month, on May 23, we would take out a candle march at India Gate. “We must remind people that ours is a peaceful protest and anyone trying to disrupt peace with provocative speeches or any kind of trouble would be himself responsible for consequences and we don’t take any responsibility,” Sakshi said.
