Congress parliamentarian and public intellectual Shashi Tharoor on Friday reacted angrily over the remarks of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha on the ongoing protest of wrestlers in New Delhi.
Tharoor in a tweet said that instead of criticising the protest, Usha should rather investigate the charges levelled by the wrestlers and take action.
Shashi Tharoor Slams PT Usha for Her Remarks on Wrestlers' Protest
© Photo : Twitter/@ShashiTharoor
The remarks from Congress parliamentarian from Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala came a day after Usha strongly criticised the wrestlers’ protest as she said that it is a “negative approach” that is “tarnishing” the country’s image.
“The players should not have protested on the streets. They should at least have waited for the report of the committee. What they have done is not good for the sport or the country. It is a negative approach,” she said on Thursday.
Usha, a retired athlete who is known as the 'Queen of Indian track and field' for having won four gold medals and seven silver medals in the Asian Games, has been a member of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Parliament) since 2022.
Priyanka Chaturvedi, a member of the Rajya Sabha and deputy leader of the Udav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena party joined Tharoor in taking Usha to task for her comments.
In a tweet, she said that the image of the country is tarnished when parliamentarians accused of sexual harassment roam free and also advised Usha to speak up for sportswomen collectively.
Priyanka Chaturvedi Slams PT Usha for Her Remarks on Wrestlers' Protest
© Photo : Twitter/@priyankac19
WFI President Accused of Sexual Harassment
Top Indian wrestlers, including Asian and Commonwealth Games medalist Vinesh Phogat and Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik, are protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment and financial misappropriation.
This is the second time the athletes have staged a protest.
They first protested in January this year for three days but they ended the protest after they were assured that a committee would be formed to file its report in a month’s time.
To note: on Friday, India's Supreme Court directed the Delhi Police to register a FIR against the WFI chief.