TeaHere was a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi mind matter Sunday is reserved for wrestlers including Olympian medalists strike At Jantar Mantar in Delhi. They are demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India president and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alleging sexual harassment of women wrestlers over the past decade. The BJP has deliberately kept silence. It took the intervention of the Supreme Court for the Delhi Police to act on their complaints and register an FIR against them bahubali Member of Parliament from Kaiserganj, Uttar Pradesh.
Modi’s message to the protesting wrestlers
in 100th In this edition of his monthly radio programme, Modi broke that silence – subtly but loudly. It came in the form of “hundreds of inspiring stories” of women empowerment from “our army or the sports world”, in reference to the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme she launched from Haryana and the selfie with daughter campaign launched by a . Sunil Jaglan, a Haryana resident who attended Sunday’s event, credited Modi for launching the “Fourth Battle of Panipat to bring smiles on the faces of daughters”. Incidentally, the protesting wrestlers are also from Haryana.
Of course, Modi made no mention of the wrestlers or their protest in Sunday’s Mann Ki Baat radio programme. But the message was unmistakable: her government has an impressive record in women’s empowerment, and it cannot be tarnished by the alleged misdeeds of her party workers. Now wrestler’s lyrics vs Modi’s lyrics, full stop.
More women are turning to the BJP since 2014 thanks to the welfare schemes introduced by the Modi government and the popularity of the prime minister. as of 2019 Lokniti-CSDS Post Election SurveyThe percentage of women who voted for the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections increased from 29 per cent in 2014 to 16 per cent. The figures for the Congress were 20 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively. 11% women who voted for Congress in 2014 switched to BJP in 2019.
If you watched Modi’s roadshow in Bengaluru on Saturday, you might think that the recent controversies over the alleged misdeeds of BJP MLAs haven’t had much impact on Modi’s popularity among women. From Magadi Road to Nees Road, I saw groups of women standing or sitting on the footpath and waited for Modi for more than two hours. As soon as his roadshow began, many people got excited to have a closer look at him.
Also, Karnataka’s record has been one of the worst Representation Women in the meeting. Its best figure was in 2018, when seven women legislators were elected to the 224-member assembly.
It is not likely to get much better in the next assembly. In this election, BJP and Congress have fielded 12 and 9 women candidates respectively.
The enthusiastic response of women at the Bengaluru roadshow is only indicative of Modi’s popularity among them – or perhaps their curiosity about him. This cannot in any way be taken as an indication of a lack of sympathy for the wrestlers protesting in Delhi. For all we know, most of them may not even be aware of what is happening some 2,200 kilometers away. I am quoting his response only in the context of why PM Modi put himself forward and put forth his initiatives for the empowerment of women. mind matter The program provides a shield to his party and government from alleged acts of commission or omission by party colleagues such as Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Or, for that matter, the ministers of Haryana Sandeep Singh Who was accused of sexually assaulting a lady coach and has the support of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the party leadership.
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brijbhushan singh is not a saint
This brings us to the question of why the BJP should risk alienating or upsetting Modi voters by tacitly defending or supporting the serious alleged crimes of its leaders. Keeping the latest allegations aside, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is no saint. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court last week that there were 40 cases against lion
An MP-MLA court in last December liberated The court on him in the 29-year-old case of attempted murder of former UP minister Vinod Kumar Singh, however, pulled up the investigators for not making any effort to collect evidence.
in an interview with lallantop brijbhushan singh last year accepted on camera,In my life, I have lost one hand. whatever people say, i committed a murder (I have committed one murder in my life. Whatever people may say, I have committed one murder).
He spent several months in jail in the mid-1990s, allegedly under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA). helping Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s men.
Last year, he also criticized the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government for “poor preparations” for the floods. Saying, “People’s representatives are silent. It is forbidden to speak. If you speak up, you will be branded as a rebel.
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BJP has reasons to look the other way
So, why will BJP keep protecting Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh? He certainly has immense political clout. He is a six-time MP from three different constituencies – Gonda, Balrampur, and Kaiserganj – and has a following among Rajputs in two or three other adjoining constituencies. He was also a part of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and was an accused in the Babri demolition case. This is what makes Singh a popular leader of the BJP. The party may also be aware that any action against it may affect its chances in the urban local body elections to be held on May 4 and 11.
Another reason could be sheer chutzpah or over-confidence of the BJP about its ability to mold public perception. Whatever the allegations against its leaders, the ruling party brazenly chose to do so by refusing to take any action against them and ignoring the public outcry. When there was a public outcry over union minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish allegedly killing protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in 2022, the BJP ignored it. The junior home minister has the support of the high command. There is also Haryana minister Sandeep Singh after sexual harassment allegations. CM Khattar too called The allegation “absurd” during the police investigation.
When Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is being criticized, the party has similarly chosen to look the other way. A party with a popular prime minister may be able to ignore public sentiment against some of its leaders. In an age of transactional politics, party strategists may also feel that a handful of wrestlers who have come forward with sexual harassment allegations will have no electoral consequence. As always, PM Modi is willing to put his image at stake for the benefit of his party. The big question is whether it will benefit or harm the BJP in the long run.
DK Singh is the political editor of ThePrint. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)