Haryana minister supports protesting wrestlers, but silent on charges against colleague

Chandigarh, May 7 (IANS) Coming out in support of protesting grapplers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, state Home Minister Anil Vij, the BJP's first senior leader, has said he would take up their issue with the authorities in the Central government to resolve the issue amicably.

But his critics have been questioning Vij's silence over the molestation charges against his Cabinet colleague Sandeep Singh by a junior coach.

"I have been a sports minister and completely support the players. The matter is being taken up at the highest level, but if I am required to talk to the higher-ups in the Centre, I will do that so that the issue could be resolved amicably," Vij, who just returned from his tour of Australia, told the media in Ambala, his hometown.

A majority of the protesting wrestlers belong to Haryana. They have been staging a sit-in protest at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi where the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said a large number of farmers will gather in a show of solidarity.

It said several farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh will visit the protest site.

Ironically, BJP's vocal leader Vij has been extending support to the wrestlers but why he's preferring to keep mum on allegations against his Cabinet colleague. Sandeep Singh, who has been facing sexual harassment charges from the coach, asked a senior leader.

The coach in her complaint on December 31, 2022, had accused Sandeep Singh, then sports minister, of sexual harassment, stalking, threatening and outraging her modesty. Singh resigned from the sports portfolio, but continues to be a minister in the Khattar government's cabinet.

Two days ago Sandeep Singh, who holds the Minister of State for Printing and Stationery, refused to give his consent for the lie-detector or polygraph test in the alleged molestation case.

The minister has submitted a detailed reply on the application filed by the Chandigarh Police seeking permission for conducting his lie-detector test or polygraph test.

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