<p>Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev on Tuesday urged a Parliamentary Standing Committee, which deals with women's issues, not to remain a "mute spectator" to wrestlers protest against sexual harassment by wrestling body chief and take up the issue for discussion to send a message that watchdogs of government policy are serious about it.</p>.<p>In a letter to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Youth and Sports Chairperson Vivek Thakur, she said the panel should take a review of the implementation of all statutory laws that apply to the sports federations and other bodies and the role of the Ministry of Sports in it.</p>.<p>Her letter came as the protest by international wrestlers, including Vineesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, also a BJP MP who is accused of sexual harassment, entered the 17th day in Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Several leaders, including those from Trinamool, visited the wrestlers and expressed their solidarity.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/nfiw-urges-om-birla-to-suspend-wfi-chief-brij-bhushan-sharan-singh-from-parliament-1216905.html" target="_blank">NFIW urges Om Birla to suspend WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from Parliament</a></strong></p>.<p>"The prevailing controversy must be extremely discouraging for women sportspersons and the Committee must not sit back as mute spectators. I request you to hold a meeting with a specific agenda that ensures a thorough review of this issue," she wrote to Thakur, a BJP MP.</p>.<p>Requesting to hold a meeting with a specific agenda that ensured a thorough review of this issue, she said, "I hope you won't disappoint me in this regard and I would like to believe that the Standing Committee is not just an ornamental mechanism but very much abreast to the need of the hour to act and stand up for the women who are facing sexual harassment and give them a message that as watchdogs of the government policy we are doing everything in our power."</p>.<p>Recalling that the 'MeToo' movement rocked the nation in 2018, she said it called into question the culpability of a central minister as also many persons in top positions in the private sector also. She also said a committee was set up under Rajnath Singh then but she cannot say what were the findings of the committee.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/farmers-break-through-barricades-to-join-wrestlers-protest-in-delhi-police-say-no-untoward-incident-1216786.html" target="_blank">Farmers break through barricades to join wrestlers' protest in Delhi; police say no untoward incident</a></strong></p>.<p>Noting that wrestlers' protest raises some serious questions for the society at large but more so for the world of sports, she said women have shown exemplary performance over the years and their achievements are a matter of pride for the nation.</p>.<p>"For women to compete and win their space of training and work must make them feel safe. There is statutory duty to ensure that proper systems are in place not only for redressal but for prevention of sexual harassment at work place or outside their work place," she said.</p>.<p>It is not the first time that sports women are raising their concerns about becoming victims of sexual harassment, Dev said adding that the statutory duties of various sports federations under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 is "extremely critical".</p>
<p>Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev on Tuesday urged a Parliamentary Standing Committee, which deals with women's issues, not to remain a "mute spectator" to wrestlers protest against sexual harassment by wrestling body chief and take up the issue for discussion to send a message that watchdogs of government policy are serious about it.</p>.<p>In a letter to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Youth and Sports Chairperson Vivek Thakur, she said the panel should take a review of the implementation of all statutory laws that apply to the sports federations and other bodies and the role of the Ministry of Sports in it.</p>.<p>Her letter came as the protest by international wrestlers, including Vineesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, also a BJP MP who is accused of sexual harassment, entered the 17th day in Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Several leaders, including those from Trinamool, visited the wrestlers and expressed their solidarity.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/nfiw-urges-om-birla-to-suspend-wfi-chief-brij-bhushan-sharan-singh-from-parliament-1216905.html" target="_blank">NFIW urges Om Birla to suspend WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from Parliament</a></strong></p>.<p>"The prevailing controversy must be extremely discouraging for women sportspersons and the Committee must not sit back as mute spectators. I request you to hold a meeting with a specific agenda that ensures a thorough review of this issue," she wrote to Thakur, a BJP MP.</p>.<p>Requesting to hold a meeting with a specific agenda that ensured a thorough review of this issue, she said, "I hope you won't disappoint me in this regard and I would like to believe that the Standing Committee is not just an ornamental mechanism but very much abreast to the need of the hour to act and stand up for the women who are facing sexual harassment and give them a message that as watchdogs of the government policy we are doing everything in our power."</p>.<p>Recalling that the 'MeToo' movement rocked the nation in 2018, she said it called into question the culpability of a central minister as also many persons in top positions in the private sector also. She also said a committee was set up under Rajnath Singh then but she cannot say what were the findings of the committee.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/farmers-break-through-barricades-to-join-wrestlers-protest-in-delhi-police-say-no-untoward-incident-1216786.html" target="_blank">Farmers break through barricades to join wrestlers' protest in Delhi; police say no untoward incident</a></strong></p>.<p>Noting that wrestlers' protest raises some serious questions for the society at large but more so for the world of sports, she said women have shown exemplary performance over the years and their achievements are a matter of pride for the nation.</p>.<p>"For women to compete and win their space of training and work must make them feel safe. There is statutory duty to ensure that proper systems are in place not only for redressal but for prevention of sexual harassment at work place or outside their work place," she said.</p>.<p>It is not the first time that sports women are raising their concerns about becoming victims of sexual harassment, Dev said adding that the statutory duties of various sports federations under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 is "extremely critical".</p>
