'I said Congress is behind wrestler's...': Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan on Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia joining party

A day after wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress party, former Wrestling Federation of India president and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said this development proves that the entire wrestlers' movement was a "conspiracy" against him and the Congress party was behind it.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Brij Bhushan said that just when the wrestler's protest started at Jantar Mantar in January last year, he had claimed that it was not a movement of sportspersons and Congress was behind it, led by Bhupinder Hooda.

"On 18th January 2023, when the protest started at Jantar Mantar, I said that this is not a movement of sportspersons, 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, Congress was involved in it and Bhupinder Hooda was leading it," he said.

Singh further alleged that the wrestler's protest was not for the dignity of women, adding that because of the protests, the 'daughters' of Haryana are facing embarrassment.

"I want to tell the people of Haryana that Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender Hooda, Bajrang, and Vinesh were not sitting (on protest) for the dignity of girls. Due to them, the daughters of Haryana are facing embarrassment. We are not responsible for it, Bhupinder Hooda and Deependra Hooda and these protesters are responsible for it," the former WFI chief said.

What will they answer on the day when it will be proved that I was not present in Delhi on the day of the incident on which allegations are being made? They used daughters for politics and defamed daughters, especially women athletes. They were not fighting for the honour of daughters; they were fighting for politics," he added.

The BJP leader reiterated his stance that he is not guilty of disrespecting women and accused Bhupinder Hooda for disrespecting women.

"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.

Earlier on Friday, the two ace wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, joined the Congress almost a month before the Haryana assembly polls. Punia won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, while Vinesh Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final in Paris last month.

The wrestlers resigned from their respective positions in Northern Railways earlier on that day. Within hours of them joining the party, wrestler Vinesh Phogat was fielded in the Julana constituency for the upcoming Haryana polls. Whereas, Bajrang Punia was appointed working president of the All India Kisan Congress.

Punia and Phogat joined the Congress in the presence of Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, party leader Pawan Khera, Udai Bhan, and AICC incharge of Haryana Deepak Babaria. 

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)