An unnecessary attempt is being made to introduce a political dimension in the ongoing protest by prominent wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, when the issues that have been raised were regarding alleged sexual harassment. The wrestlers have been demanding action against their Federation Chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a six-time BJP MP, currently representing Kaiserganj. Singh wields a considerable influence in the areas around Ayodhya but is on the backfoot, after the Delhi police under instructions from the Supreme Court, has lodged two FIRs against him. Claiming that he was completely innocent and the protests were motivated and instigated by the Congress and an industrialist, Singh has refused to step down from his position “since this would amount to admission of his guilt’’. Many leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jayant Chowdhury and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited the protest site on Saturday evoking a strong reaction from some of the BJP supporters. Babita Phogat, a wrestler who had unsuccessfully contested on the Lotus Symbol advised her friends not to allow the issue to be politicized. However, her cousin, Vinesh who is sitting on the dharna was quick to counter and stated that if her dear sister could not support their cause, she should at least not speak on the subject. A large number of top sportspersons, the two individual Olympic Gold Medalists, Abhinav Bindra and Neeraj Chopra have expressed their solidarity with the wrestlers. Others who have extended support include Kapil Dev, Sania Mirza, Irfan Pathan, Nikhat Zareen, Vijendra Singh and Rani Rampal. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh also tried to provide a new twist to the ongoing agitation and stated that the protesters were from the same Akhara which enjoyed the patronage of Haryana Rajya Sabha MP, Deependra Hooda, who is also the son of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The accusation was viewed as some sort of an effort by the WFI chief to make it into a casteist and regional issue, when it is not. Dr Sunita Godara, who won the Women’s Marathon in the 1992 Asian Games, observed on a TV channel that sportspersons had no caste or region or even gender. They were committed to their goals and helped in bringing laurels to the country. Is it the fault of the wrestlers, if they belong to Haryana which has people who possess the requisite physical fitness to pursue this Sport? Incidentally, the maximum number of medals brought to India in the recent past if a State-wise break up was to be made, were by athletes and sportspersons belonging to Haryana. However, it should always be kept in mind that when someone is selected to represent the country, his regional identity takes a back seat. There has also been an all-round criticism of the Indian Olympic Association president and Rajya Sabha MP, P.T.Usha for her “insensitive’’ remarks. Usha who has been an iconic sportsperson and has inspired youngsters to do better, seems to have singed her own reputation. However, her contributions have been enormous and it shall be sad to see if her image gets diminished because of her intervention in this matter. The BJP in Haryana may also find itself in a spot, despite the fact that the state government has extended facilities to virtually every area to promote sports. While it may be embarrassing for the leaders to stand with the protestors who have pinned a BJP MP to the mat, the least that can be done is to seek the central leadership’s intervention to prevent the matter from assuming regional or casteist overtones. This appears to be the objective of the WFI. Haryana is certainly one of the highest achieving States on every parameter and the entire country is proud of its progress on various fronts. Therefore, nothing that seeks to reduce its standing and status should be done.