A day after wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress, former MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh criticised the move, calling the protests against him over sexual harassment allegations a “political conspiracy.”
Speaking to PTI, Singh remarked, “About two years ago, these sportspersons started a conspiracy on January 18. From the very beginning, I stated this was politically motivated. The Congress, along with Deepender Hooda and Bhupinder Hooda, orchestrated the entire script. This wasn’t an athletes’ protest. And now, nearly two years later, it is clear that the Congress was behind this drama.”
He added, “When they protested, the nation believed there was truth to it, and opposition parties rallied against me. They have been lying. I wasn’t even present on the day of the alleged incident.”
After joining Congress, Phogat reiterated that their fight against the former BJP MP would continue, noting that while many parties supported the wrestlers during their protest, the BJP did not.
The trial against Brij Bhushan began in July, over a year after the chargesheet was filed in June 2023. The trial court framed charges against Singh in May, under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty) and 354A (sexual harassment), with Singh pleading not guilty.