Olympian wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat has countered recent remarks made by former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, stating that his claims against her have been consistently proven false. Phogat, who recently joined politics with a Congress candidature from Haryana, said that Singh’s latest comments would be no different.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a former Member of Parliament, had alleged that Phogat’s entry into politics as a Congress candidate was evidence that the sexual harassment allegations against him were orchestrated by the party. Singh implied that the protests by wrestlers following the allegations were also politically motivated by the Congress.
Singh further accused Phogat of violating Olympic rules by attempting to qualify in two different weight categories on the same day. He insinuated that her subsequent disqualification before the final bout was a "result given by god," implying divine justice.
In response, Phogat dismissed Singh’s comments as baseless. Addressing the media, she said, "Two BJP leaders had taken permission to sit at Jantar Mantar. He should look there. He would find all his answers."
Regarding Singh's accusations about the Olympics, Phogat was resolute. "Look, nobody cares what he says. Think of what he said—that he would hang himself if any woman came forward to accuse him. Many did. And what did he do? He said I tried to move forward by cheating. That I wanted to change the rules. That I do not want to compete at national levels or at trials. But I did compete nationally, I competed at trials, I went to the Olympics, and I qualified by myself. I have proven him wrong at every turn and will do so now as well, for whatever he is saying," she asserted.
Following Singh’s recent remarks, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) issued a gag order, instructing him not to make any statements that could create controversy. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has faced allegations of sexual harassment from some of India's top athletes, including Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, among others. The allegations led to widespread protests by wrestlers, who demanded justice.
In light of these allegations, the BJP decided not to field Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as a candidate from the Kaiserganj constituency. Instead, the party chose his son, Karan Bhushan Singh, to contest the seat.
Recently, Vinesh Phogat, along with fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, joined the Congress party, roughly a month ahead of the Haryana assembly elections. In response, the BJP reiterated that it would not engage in political battles involving athletes, who they described as "the pride of our country."
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