Outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, fighting sexual harassment charges levelled by women wrestlers, and celebrated grappler Vinesh Phogat on Saturday blamed each other for the national federation’s suspension by United World Wrestling (UWW) for not holding elections within the stipulated 45 days.
Although the WFI elections were supposed to be held on August 12, however, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the polls, acting on a petition filed by the Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA).
The UWW on Thursday suspended WFI due to which Indian wrestlers won’t be able to compete at the next month’s World Championship under the national flag.
On Friday, double world championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, who spearheaded a sit-on protest at Jantar Mantar for more than one month demanding Brij Bhushan’s arrest, took to ‘X’, formerly Twitter, called the former WFI chief ‘a mafia’.
“If one makes a correct assessment of the loss of reputation of the WFI due to Brij Bhushan, he will be completely exposed. The national tricolour has been shamed due to a mafia,” Vinesh wrote on her social media page.
Meanwhile, Brij Bhushan, the BJP MP from UP’s Kaisarganj, hurled counter-accusations on Vinesh and her fellow protesters Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia for the suspension from UWW, saying that the ‘dharna jeevis’, referring to their protest, were “responsible” for the WFI suspension.
“These ‘dharnaa jeevi’ (protesting) players are responsible for WFI suspension. They are the ones who made fun of wrestling and wrestlers of the country,” he said during a media conference at his hometown on Saturday.
“Today, the situation is very sad, as for the first time, India has been banned by the UWW since elections could not be conducted. If this problem is not resolved at the earliest, then there will be major loss for India. No wrestler under the banner of India could contest in the Olympics and World Championship,” he said.
He also claimed that he tried to conduct the elections for four times, however, it couldn’t be done as there were some hurdles or the other.
The politician also mentioned that no one from his family is contesting the elections.
“All of you know that from UP, my son Karan Singh and I are voters. But, on the demand of the players, both of us remained out of the election process, even then, the elections could not be held. The results are before the country,” he said.
“Upon being asked by the sports ministry, I have distanced myself from wrestling. Now, neither me nor any member of my family is a part of this (sports). Now, they are demanding that I should leave the citizenship of India, but this is not possible for me,” the ex-WFI added.
Following Brij Bhushan’s press conference, Vinesh again took to X, and alleged that the BJP MP still “controls” the federation, adding that his “ulterior motives” will only weaken Indian wrestling.
“Brij Bhushan is still controlling the federation and he won’t let anyone form an elected body without his interference. The man who has sexually harassed women wrestlers wants control of federation simply because if any credible person takes over as WFI chief instead of his stooges, then all his misdeeds will be exposed.
“A criminal, who is harming the country for his own selfish reasons and the world knows that. Brij Bhushan is doing this to save himself and also keep his stranglehold on the federation and his ulterior motives will only weaken Indian wrestling,” she wrote.