Aidso backs wrestlers, protests

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) staged a demonstration at Freedom Park in Bengaluru in solidarity with protesting wrestlers who were detained by Delhi police from Jantar Mantar.

The detained wrestlers had taken out a Mahila Samman Panchayat (women’s respect gathering) demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual misconduct. Among the demonstrators were Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat. The protest gathering was addressed by Abhaya Diwakar, District president of AIDSO.

“Even as the honourable Prime minister of India is inaugurating a new parliament called as ‘temple of democracy’, few meters away from the parliament, democratic rights are being attacked and trampled upon by Delhi Police backed by Central Government. Several prominent personalities and leaders of organisations were supposed to join the protest today.

But, with utter disregard to democratic rights, today morning several leaders have been either detained, arrested or put under house arrest by Delhi police to foil the ‘Mahapanchayat’. Even leaders of fraternal organisations of AIDSO, All India Mahila Sanskritik Sanghatan (AIMSS) and All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sanghatan (AIKKMS) have been detained,” she said.

AIDSO District Secretary Kalyan Kumar said: The Central Government is going to any level to defend its MP who is accused of sexual harassment and is a convict under POCSO (Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences) act! AIDSO unequivocally condemns this attack of democratic rights and demands immediate release of all leaders associated with the movement.”