Brij Bhushan Levels "Conspiracy" Charge After Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia Join Congress

Brij Bhushan Levels “Conspiracy” Charge After Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia Join Congress

New Delhi: Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has claimed that Vinesh Phogat joining the Congress and getting a ticket to contest the Haryana Assembly elections is proof that the sexual harassment charges and the wrestlers’ protest were a conspiracy against him by the party.

The former Wrestling Federation of India chief has also alleged that Ms Phogat violated rules by trying out for two different weight categories for the Olympics on the same day and hinted that her disqualification ahead of the final bout was a “result given by god”.

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Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who were at the forefront of the wrestlers’ protests against Mr Singh last year, joined the Congress on Friday and, hours later, Ms Phogat was announced as a candidate from the Julana Assembly constituency while Mr Punia has been appointed working president of the All India Kisan Congress.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Brij Bhushan Singh said in Hindi, “When the protests began on 18 January, 2023, I had said on day one that it is not a protest by wrestlers and the Congress is behind it. Especially (Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister) Bhupinder Hooda, (his son and MP) Deepender Hooda and Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi. Now that has been proven true.”

“The protest and the conspiracy against me had the involvement of the Congress and it was led by Bhupinder Hooda. I want to tell the people of Haryana that Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender Hooda, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia did not protest for the respect of the girls… because of this, the daughters of Haryana are having to face shame. The Congress leaders and protesters are responsible for this. They used the daughters and hurt the respect of female wrestlers for political reasons. The script was written by the Congress,” he alleged.

In the wake of the allegations and the protests, the three-time BJP MP had been denied a ticket for the Lok Sabha polls from his seat of Kaisergant in Uttar Pradesh. His son, Karan Bhushan Singh, was fielded instead and had emerged victorious.

Insisting that the allegations against him are false and he was not in Delhi on the days on which he was accused of sexually harassing wrestlers, Brij Bhushan Singh said that the court will give its ruling.