On Saturday, Brij Bhushan Singh said Vinesh and Bajrang were used by the Congress as “pawns” in a “conspiracy” to take control of the Wrestling Federation of India and attack the BJP. (Image: PTI/File)
The BJP’s directions came after former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh lashed out against wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia. He alleged that the protests were a conspiracy by the Congress against him, masterminded by the Hooda family
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who joined the Congress ahead of the Haryana assembly elections, are soon to be cleared by the railways to contest the polls. The BJP, meanwhile, has asked former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to refrain from making remarks against the two Olympians and speaking to the media about them.
Within days of joining the Congress, Phogat and Punia resigned as railway employees. According to a top source from the Indian Railways, the duo asked for an exemption from serving the mandatory three-month notice period.
Phogat will need a clearance from her department before September 12 to be able to file her nomination papers for the upcoming polls. The Northern Railway, which is looking into the process, has gone ahead with the formal exit. “They had asked for an exemption from the three-month notice period. And that exemption has been granted,” the top source told CNN-News18.
The source said it is likely that Phogat’s exit formalities may be completed in a day or two, and she can get the clearance required to file her nomination.
This comes amid a war of words between the BJP and Congress over alleged political motivation behind the wrestlers’ agitation.
Brij Bhushan, who is facing sexual harassment charges by some wrestlers, lashed out against the two athletes on Saturday (September 7). He alleged that the protests were a conspiracy by the Congress against him, masterminded by the Hooda family.
After the wrestlers joined the Congress, he said he now stands vindicated. Throughout the entire crisis, too, he had claimed that former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son, Deepender Singh Hooda, were behind the protests.
The former BJP MP said Phogat and Punia were used as “pawns” in a “conspiracy” to take control of the wrestling federation and attack the BJP. He alleged that former the Hooda family was behind a plot against him as he had defeated Deepender in the 2012 elections for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
But, now the BJP top brass has asked him to stay away from commenting on the wrestlers and to refrain from communicating with the media on any issue concerning the matter. “It is a very sensitive issue in Haryana and the party does not want to give any opportunity to the opposition to make allegations that they are anti-women,” a BJP leader aware of the development told News18.
When Haryana goes to polls next month, it is going to be a test for the BJP that has been in power in the state for the past two terms. Besides facing massive anti-incumbency, there are several other issues plaguing the saffron party, including the “anti-Jat” factor and the impact of the agitation by wrestlers as well as farmers.
Following their induction into the Congress on September 6, Phogat and Punia said they will continue their fight against Brij Bhushan with the former asserting that she will ensure that no woman faces what she went through. The 30-year-old, who is a two-time World Championships medallist besides being an Asiad gold winner, will be contesting from Julana constituency in Haryana.
What are the sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan?
In 2012, Brij Bhushan first took charge of the WFI after a bitter turf war with Deepender. He had a vice-like grip over the wrestlers’ body before protests broke out against him last year over allegations of sexual harassment by female wrestlers. Phogat and Punia, along with another Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik, spearheaded the agitation.
As a result, the six-time MP from Kaiserganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh, was forced to step down as the WFI chief. He is also facing criminal charges in court. After his ouster, however, his close aide Sanjay Singh was elected as the head of the WFI.