Wrestlers’ issue will cause great deal of damage to BJP: Shashi Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has hit out at the government on the wrestlers’ issue, saying the BJP is going to do itself a “great deal of damage” as it has taken a stand which is “morally unacceptable” to the nation.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has hit out at the government on the wrestlers' issue, saying the BJP is going to do itself a "great deal of damage" as it has taken a stand which is "morally unacceptable" to the nation.

Talking to PTI on the sidelines of the recently-concluded JLF Valladolid in Spain, the Thiruvananthapuram MP also said the attitude of the Narendra Modi-led government in the matter is "totally unacceptable".

"I think they are going to do themselves a great deal of damage in the eyes of the large numbers of the public because of their failure to actually understand that the Indian public no longer has patience for this kind of Mafiosi behaviour," Mr. Tharoor said.

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"... Merely because there are certain political calculations on the BJP having certain aversions to 'looking weak', they have taken a stand which is morally unacceptable to the nation," he added.

Top wrestlers of the country, including Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat and Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, have been protesting against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh and demanding his arrest for allegedly sexually harassing female grapplers.

The protesting wrestlers on June 7 had agreed to suspend their protest for a week after the government asked them to wait till police completes its probe into the allegations against Mr. Singh.