Gonda (UP): BJP MP and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexually harassing female wrestlers, Sunday said he will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Kaisarganj again and was awaiting the court’s verdict to speak on the grapplers’ stir.
He was replying to queries from media persons after addressing a rally in the district’s Balpur area where he skipped any direct reference to the wrestlers’ protest for his arrest and chose to target the Congress over the Emergency, Ram temple, the 1984 anti-Sikhs riots and other issues. Asked by the reporters why he was not commenting on the wrestlers’ protest and what was he waiting for, the BJP MP said, “Court ke faisle ka (court’s verdict).”
On whether he will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Gonda or Ayodhya, Singh said, “Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat se chunav ladunga, ladunga, ladunga (I will definitely contest from Kaiserganj).”
Brij Bhushan Singh has represented the Kaisarganj Lok Sabha constituency thrice — once as an SP MP (from 2009 to 2014). He won the 2004 general elections from the Balrampur Lok Sabha seat, and the 1991 and 1999 Lok Sabha polls from the Gonda seat on BJP tickets. Currently, he is serving a sixth term as Lok Sabha MP.
At the rally, he began his 23-minute speech with an Urdu couplet, “Kabhi ask, kabhi gumh, to kabhi zeher piya jata hai… tab ja kar zamane mein jiya jata hai. Yeh mila mujhko muhabbat ka silla, bewafa kehke mera naam liya jata hai. Isko ruswai kahen ki shohrat apni, dabe hontho se mera naam liya jata hai (Sometimes one has to take a lot of grief and poison to live in this world… This is the reward I got for my love, they call me unfaithful. Should I call it notoriety or fame, they take my name with pursed lips).”
The rally was organised to celebrate the completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. So far, Singh has remained defiant despite facing possible action from the Delhi Police, which has recorded statements of over 200 people in connection with the case against him and will file a charge-sheet by June 15. On Saturday, the protesting wrestlers alleged he was using his influence to put sexual harassment victims under pressure and forcing them to change their statements. They also threatened to resume their stir if decisive action was not taken against the MP by June 15.
