In the wake of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joining the Congress on Friday, former MP and Wrestler Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Saturday hit out at the move and said, the protest against him over sexual harassment allegations were nothing but a political conspiracy.
While talking to news agency PTI, he said. “About two years ago, these sports persons started a conspiracy on January 18. The day all of this began, I had said that this was a political conspiracy. The Congress was involved in this, including Deepender Hooda and Bhupinder Hooda. The entire script was written. This was not an agitation by sportspersons. And now, after about two years, it has become clear that the Congress was involved in this drama.”
“When they sat on a protest, the nation believed there was truth in it and the Opposition parties rallied against me. They have been lying. I wasn’t there during the day of the incident mentioned in the case,” he added.
Dangal against Former BJP MP
The Wrestlers have changed the political landscape of Haryana elections and after joining the Congress, Phogat said that the fight against the former BJP MP will continue.
The trial against Brij Bhushan commenced in July, over a year after authorities filed a chargesheet against him in June 2023. In May, the court framed charges under IPC Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to outrage a woman’s modesty) and 354A (sexual harassment), following Singh’s not guilty plea.
The 1,500-page chargesheet against Singh, for alleged sexual harassment, assault and stalking of six women wrestlers, had included statements of at least 22 witnesses from across four states. These included wrestlers, a referee, a coach and a physiotherapist.
No Sexual Assault, Political Conspiracy
Top Indian wrestlers, including Olympic medalists Vinesh Phogat staged a sit-in in protest against Brij Bhushan at Jantar Mantar New Delhi. Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers alleged that the then president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) sexually assaulted them.
After Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress party, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh asserted that this move confirmed his long-standing claim that the wrestlers’ protest against him was orchestrated by the Congress.
He accused the party, particularly leaders Bhupinder Hooda and Deepender Hooda, of being behind the protests from the beginning, suggesting that they were not a movement for women’s dignity but rather politically motivated actions that embarrassed the daughters of Haryana.
In January 2023, when the protest was added at Jantar Mantar, I said this is not a move of sports persons, Congress is behind it. Especially Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender Hooda, Priyanka Ji, and Rahul Ji. This is a movement of Congress. And today this thing has been proved. In this entire movement, the conspiracy that happened against us, congres was involved in it and Bhupinder Hooda was leading it.” he said
