New Delhi: Congress leader and MP from Kerala, Shahshi Tharoor has hit out at veteran athlete and President of the Indian Olympic Assocation PT Usha for her statement that the protesting wrestlers were “tarnishing” India's image. “Dear PT Usha, it does not become you to disparage the justified protests of your fellow sportspersons in the face of repeated & wanton sexual harassment. Their standing up for their rights does not “tarnish the image of the nation”. Ignoring their concerns — instead of hearing them out, investigating them & taking just action — does," Tharoor wrote in a tweet on Friday.
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Dear @PTUshaOfficial, it is does not become you to disparage the justified protests of your fellow sportspersons in the face of repeated & wanton sexual harassment. Their standing up for their rights does not “tarnish the image of the nation”. Ignoring their concerns — instead of…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 28, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Dear @PTUshaOfficial, it is does not become you to disparage the justified protests of your fellow sportspersons in the face of repeated & wanton sexual harassment. Their standing up for their rights does not “tarnish the image of the nation”. Ignoring their concerns — instead of…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 28, 2023Dear @PTUshaOfficial, it is does not become you to disparage the justified protests of your fellow sportspersons in the face of repeated & wanton sexual harassment. Their standing up for their rights does not “tarnish the image of the nation”. Ignoring their concerns — instead of…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 28, 2023
Also read: SC to hear wrestlers' plea on FIR against WFI chief today
Usha has drawn flak from the protesting wrestlers and the opposition for her criticism of the wrestlers, who are demanding a FIR against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment. Usha on Thursday said that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is having a committee for sexual harassment and instead of going to the streets the protesting wrestlers “could have come to us earlier but they didn't come to IOA”.
“It isn't good for Sports not only for wrestlers, they should also have some discipline,”PT Usha said. Pertinently, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the plea of the protesting wrestlers seeking registration of FIR against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Friday. The hearing comes after the protesting wrestlers led by Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakashi Malik filed a plea to the top court for an urgent hearing to look into their demand for a case into the alleged sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief dating back to 2012.
