West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday hit the streets for the second consecutive day in support of protesting wrestlers in Delhi who have been seeking the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Ms. Banerjee who led a candlelight rally from the statue of Goshto Pal in Kolkata’s Maidan area to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Mayo Road-Dufferin Road crossing, said she will fight for the protesting wrestlers till they get justice.
“There has been a POCSO case registered against the WFI chief, and despite the court’s intervention, nothing has been done by the police. Not just his resignation, the BJP leader should be arrested. I am ashamed of the incident,” Ms. Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister, who was joined by well-known sportspersons from West Bengal as well as representatives from key sporting clubs, questioned why BJP leaders were heads of various sports bodies. “Previously, political people could not be chairman of any sports organisation. I was once the Union Sports Minister and had instituted this rule,” Ms. Banerjee said.
On Wednesday, the Chief Minister had organised a protest rally from Hazra Crossing to Rabindra Sadan in support of the protest wrestlers. She had also spoken to wrestlers over telephone and said that she will send a team of MPs to meet them. “We were on the road and will be on the road for justice as the road shows us the way forward,“ she added. The Trinamool Congress chairperson said she is awaiting the decision of wrestlers and her party will decide its future action depending on that.
Ms. Banerjee said that till the BJP remains in power, there will be no evidence against their leaders.
A stage was erected near the protest venue where two wrestlers from the State were seen sitting in protest. The Chief Minister announced jobs will be given to the two wrestlers protesting in Kolkata and urged the representatives of Kolkata Press Club to join the protest.
