The Union minister mostly refused to take questions on the ongoing protest from the wrestlers against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture addressing the media in Bengaluru on Monday. (supplied)
On the Delhi Police registering an FIR against the wrestlers protesting in New Delhi, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi said: “I would not respond to the people that are breaking the law. I have nothing to say.”
India’s seniormost and famed wrestlers have accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh — president of the Wrestling Federation of India and a BJP MP — of sexual misconduct. It may be noted that an FIR was registered against Singh after repeated complaints, and he is yet to be arrested.
Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik — who was among the protesters manhandled near the new Parliament building on Sunday — pointed out that while they were being forcibly detained, Singh was attending the new building’s inauguration.
Women ministers in the Narendra Modi Cabinet have maintained a studied, stoic silence over allegations levelled by the women wrestlers and the treatment being meted out to them during protests.
MoS Meenakshi Lekhi’s reaction was no different when South First asked her about it during a press conference in Bengaluru.
Talking to reporters at the BJP state headquarters in Bengaluru on Monday, 28 May, Lekhi said: “The law is taking its course. If there is anything, they can go to court and get their issues addressed. Action is being taken. When a complaint is filed, a committee will be set up to look into this.”
To a pointed question on why there was no action from the Union government, she said: “The matter has gone to the court. Things have to be done in terms of the law. The law is applicable even to the king, and wrestlers are not out of the ambit of that law.”
The Union minister otherwise mostly refused to take questions on the ongoing protest from the wrestlers against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel accompanied Lekhi.
India’s star wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and others have sat in a protest for two months in Delhi, demanding action against Singh for sexually harassing wrestlers.
An FIR was registered against the three wrestlers on Sunday evening for carrying out a protest at Jantar Mantar.
They were also detained by the Delhi Police while they were reportedly marching towards the new Parliament building on Sunday.
This, even as political leaders cutting across party lines came out in their support.
On the Union Government bringing out the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, Lekhi said: “The ordinance has to be brought because there was an emergency condition.”
The Union government promulgated an ordinance to nullify the recent Supreme Court order that had given the Delhi government control over the transfer, posting, and other actions of civil servants.
The new ordinance resulted in the setting up of the National Capital Civil Service Authority to deal with service conditions, transfers and postings of officers. The President promulgated the ordinance on 19 May.
“Delhi is a Union Territory. It is a city-cum-state. The city becomes a state and gets a chief minister, with no paraphernalia in the real sense of a chief minister, but it has a Legislative Assembly,” said Lekhi.
She further said: “It is a Union Territory with a Legislative Assembly. Certain articles of the Constitution are very clear that the Centre will have a role to play [in states’ affairs]. In the Supreme Court’s order, there is no specific marking as to who holds the power of transfer, posting, and services.”
She continued: “If the Centre thinks [it is necessary], it can bring the law. In our reading, the Centre always has the power to bring the law. So, we have brought the law. If we delayed or didn’t bring the law, what would have happened?”
She also said: “Those people who were investigating the money that was taken in the name of repairing the Chief Minister’s residence have been removed. These are the corrupt practices that had to be addressed.”
Lekhi also posed a series of questions to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal: “The ordinance has to be brought because it was an emergency condition. If the king is not above the law, how is the Chief Minister above the law? Can the chief minister mock the legal system? Can the chief minister remove officers that were investigating?”
She also highlighted the achievements of the NDA government in the last nine years.
Even after over two weeks after the announcement of the results of the Karnataka Assembly Polls, the BJP is yet to call for a Legislature Party meeting and elect the Leader of the Opposition (LoP).
On the delay in appointing the LoP, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters in Bengaluru: “There is no delay. We have got ample amount of time to elect the Leader of the Opposition. The LoP will be decided before the start of the first Assembly session.”
He added: “The LoP will be elected in the Legislature Party meeting. The party’s central leadership will soon chair the meeting.”
After the Assembly election, the BJP chaired only one official meeting with the state leaders to analyse its poor performance in the polls.
“The party has not yet finalised the dates to chair the Legislature Party meeting. In the meeting, it is expected that the party high command will elect the LoP and also the state president,” BJP former minister Ashwath Narayan told South First.
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