Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accused the Congress party of using wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia as "pawns" in a "conspiracy" to gain control of the WFI and target the Bharatiya Janata Party.
This accusation comes as Phogat and Punia vowed on Friday to continue their fight against Singh, with Phogat promising to ensure that no other woman endures the same challenges she faced.
The 30-year-old, a two-time world championships medallist and Asian Games gold winner, is set to contest from the Julana constituency in the Haryana assembly elections next month.
She recently made headlines for reaching the Olympic finals but was disqualified on the day of the final bout for being 100 grams overweight.
Meanwhile, Bajrang Punia has been appointed as the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress.
Brij Bhushan On Congress Using Punia And Phogat
A day after Olympians Phogat and Punia joined the Congress party, the senior BJP leader reiterated that former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was behind the plot against him as he had defeated his son Deepender Singh Hooda in the 2012 WFI elections.
"They (Punia and Phogat) were faces... they were mohrey (pawns). They were used like pawns by (former Haryana chief minister) Bhupinder Hooda, the Congress and the Congress family," he told PTI Videos.
"This was all conspired to gain a hold on the Wrestling Federation of India and to attack the BJP and its ideology...This team of Rahul, the Congress keeps doing these things," he said.
Brij Bhushan On Phogat's Olympic Heartbreak
Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, who faces sexual harassment allegations from wrestlers, has accused Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat of 'cheating' to compete in the games.
Singh further claimed that Phogat’s failure to win a medal was a form of God's punishment.
Singh reportedly stated, “I want to ask Vinesh Phogat whether a player can give trials in two weight categories in one day? Can the trials be paused for five hours after the weigh-in?... You did not win the wrestling; you went there by cheating. God has punished you for it."
Further Singh claimed that Phogat was not 'entitled' to go the Paris Olympics this year and accused her of taking away "another player's rightful spot in the Olympics".
"She went to the Olympics by taking the spot of the girl who had defeated her in the trials, and by creating a commotion. Therefore, whatever happened to her was justified, and she deserved it," he added.
Not just against Phogat, Singh also levelled accusations against Bajrang Punia saying that he participated in the Asian Games without completing the trials.
Singh said, "Haryana is the crown of India in the field of sports. And they stopped the wrestling activities for almost 2.5 years. Is it not true that Bajrang went to the Asian Games without trials? I want to ask those who are experts in wrestling."
Why Did Brij Bhushan Step Down From WFI
Brij Bhushan Singh took control of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) in 2012 following a contentious power struggle with Hooda.
Singh maintained control over the organization until last year, when allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation by wrestlers sparked major protests.
Olympic wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik led the agitation against him.
As a result, Singh, a six-time Lok Sabha MP from Kaiserganj, was forced to resign as WFI president and now faces criminal charges.
Following his ouster, Sanjay Singh, a close aide of Singh, was elected as the new WFI head.
However, despite receiving endorsement from the world wrestling governing body, UWW, the WFI still lacks official recognition from India’s sports ministry. This ongoing issue has left the organization in a state of limbo.
