Brij Bhushan hits out at Vinesh, Bajrang for joining Congress

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, hit out at wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia after they joined Congress ahead of the Haryana assembly elections, scheduled for October 5.

Vinesh and Bajrang joined politics after their year-long protest in Delhi against Brij Bhushan. The two famous wrestlers brought the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation of women's wrestlers against Brij Bhushan.

After they joined Congress following a meeting with the party president Mallikarjun Kharge at 10 Rafi Marg on Friday, Brij Bhushan said their protest was nothing but a political conspiracy.

“About two years ago, these sportspersons had 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," Brij Bhushan said to PTI.

“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,” Brij Bhushan added.

Vinesh, Bajrang and Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik led the wrestlers' protest in 2023 seeking arrest of Brij Bhushan.

After joining Congress, Vinesh said their fight against Brij Bhushan will continue.

The case against Brij Bhushan began in July this year, a year after a chargesheet was filed by Delhi Police against him in June 2023.

A trial court in Delhi framed charges against Brij Bhushan in May this year, under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty of a woman) and 354A (sexual harassment), after Singh had pleaded not guilty.

'From my end, the agitation continues': Sakshi

Meanwhile, Sakshi Malik said she also received "several political offers". But she said she “believes in staying true to my fight for women in wrestling.”

Reacting to Vinesh and Bajrang's decision, Sakshi said, "It is their personal choice to join the party. I believe that we should make sacrifices. Our agitation, the fight for women should not be given a wrong impression... From my end, the agitation continues...I too had received offers, but I wanted to see what I started till the end. Unless the Federation is cleaned and the exploitation of women ends, my fight will continue. The fight is genuine, and it will continue.”