Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Former BJP MP and ex-president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Singh, has accused Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat of cheating during the selection trials for the Olympic Games. Singh, who has been facing sexual harassment allegations from several wrestlers, claimed that Phogat’s inability to win a medal at the event was a result of divine punishment.
“I want to ask Vinesh Phogat, can a player give trials in two weight categories on the same day? Can the trials be halted for five hours after the weigh-in? You didn’t succeed in the competition because you cheated, and God has punished you for that,” Singh stated, addressing the controversy. His comments came shortly after Congress announced Phogat as its candidate for the Haryana Assembly election from Julana.
Brij Bhushan Singh did not stop at Phogat, also targeting another prominent wrestler, Bajrang Punia, who had participated in the Asian Games. Singh alleged that Punia competed without undergoing proper selection trials, further igniting debate within the sporting community.
“Haryana is the crown of Indian sports, and yet wrestling activities were halted for over 2.5 years. Is it not true that Bajrang Punia went to the Asian Games without completing trials? I want to ask the wrestling experts,” Singh told ANI.
Phogat and Punia, both of whom led the wrestlers’ protests against Brij Bhushan last year, recently made their political debuts by joining the Congress. While Phogat is set to contest in the Haryana polls, Punia has been appointed as the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress.
Continuing his sharp criticism of the wrestlers, Singh stated that he was not guilty of disrespecting women, claiming that Phogat and Punia were responsible for disrespecting “daughters.” He added that Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda, whom he accused of scripting the wrestlers’ protest, was also to blame.
“If anyone has disrespected daughters, it’s Vinesh and Bajrang. Bhupinder Hooda is behind the script of this whole affair,” Singh said.
Singh also hinted at his potential involvement in BJP’s election campaign in Haryana, stating that he would join if the party requested his support. He confidently predicted that any BJP candidate would defeat Phogat in the upcoming elections.
Phogat, in a recent statement after joining Congress, accused the BJP of backing Brij Bhushan Singh, while acknowledging Congress’s support for the wrestlers during their protest in Delhi. Punia echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the Congress stood with them during their difficult times.
“The BJP IT Cell is now saying that we just wanted to do politics. We reached out to all BJP women MPs for support, but they did not stand by us. Today, we are paying the price for raising our voices for women’s rights,” Punia remarked, accusing the BJP of turning a blind eye to the atrocities faced by women at Jantar Mantar during the protests.
BJP leaders, meanwhile, have dismissed the wrestlers’ protest as a politically motivated conspiracy by the Congress aimed at discrediting the ruling party.
