In a scathing attack on Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who joined the Congress almost a month before the Haryana assembly polls, former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said that both wrestlers are responsible for ‘disrespecting women,’ and reiterated that any BJP candidate will defeat them if they contest in Haryana and also offered to campaign in the upcoming assembly elections should his party allow.
The former BJP MP lashed out at wrestler Vinesh Phogat, a day after she joined the Congress and accused her of cheating at the Olympics. Singh on Saturday claimed that their entry into politics confirmed his long-standing assertion that the 2023 protests by athletes were a politically motivated conspiracy against him, plotted by the Congress.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been defending himself against sexual assault allegations that sparked a major protest by wrestlers in January 2023, reiterated his belief that the accusations were part of a plot led by Congress and Bhupinder Hooda.
“I am not guilty of disrespecting daughters. If anyone is guilty of disrespecting daughters, it is Bajrang and Vinesh. And the one who wrote the script, Bhupinder Hooda, is responsible for that,” he said. “One day Congress will have to regret it,” he further added.
Brij Bhusan Singh further expressed his disappointment, accusing both wrestlers of damaging the sport and dishonouring athletes, particularly female wrestlers.
“They have not only caused me harm but also harmed the sport and insulted women athletes,” he said. The Former WFI president questioned the legitimacy of Vinesh Phogat’s athletic achievements.
“I want to ask Vinesh Phogat whether a player can give trials in two weight categories in one day and can these trials be paused for five hours after the weigh-in? You went there by cheating, and you did not win any medal because God punished you for your actions,” Singh stated.
He also accused Bajrang Punia of participating in the Asian Games without completing his required trials, adding that the Congress was using these athletes to further their political agenda. “I have not insulted women, Congress has. They are the ones using girls for politics,” he added.
