Hooda Wrote The Script: Brij Bhushan's First Reaction On Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia Joining Congress

Former Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has claimed that the move by wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia to join the Congress party confirms his earlier suspicions. He stated that the entire wrestlers' movement was a "conspiracy" orchestrated by the Congress party against him.

Speaking to ANI, Singh reiterated his stance, saying, "On 18th January 2023, when the protest started at Jantar Mantar, I said that this is not a movement of sportspersons, Congress is behind it. Especially Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender Hooda, Priyanka ji, and Rahul ji. This is a movement of Congress. And today this thing has been proved. In this entire movement, the conspiracy that happened against us, Congress was involved in it and Bhupinder Hooda was leading it."

Singh further alleged that the protests were not genuinely for women's dignity but were politically motivated. He accused Bhupinder Hooda and others of using the wrestlers for political gains. "I want to tell the people of Haryana that Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender Hooda, Bajrang, and Vinesh were not sitting (on protest) for the dignity of girls. Due to them, the daughters of Haryana are facing embarrassment," he said.

The BJP leader also questioned what would happen if it were proven that he was not in Delhi on the day of the alleged incident. He claimed that those involved in the protests defamed women athletes for political purposes. "They used daughters for politics and defamed daughters, especially women athletes. They were not fighting for the honour of daughters; they were fighting for politics," he added.

Wrestlers' Political Move

On Friday, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia officially joined Congress just weeks before the Haryana assembly elections. Punia won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics while Phogat recently became the first woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final in Paris.

The wrestlers resigned from their positions in Northern Railways earlier on Friday before joining Congress in a ceremony attended by party leaders including KC Venugopal and Pawan Khera. Within hours of joining, Phogat was fielded as a candidate in the Julana constituency for the upcoming polls while Punia was appointed working president of All India Kisan Congress.

Brij Bhushan's Defence

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh maintained his innocence regarding allegations of disrespecting women and pointed fingers at Bhupinder Hooda instead. "I am not guilty of disrespecting daughters. If anyone is guilty of disrespecting daughters, it is Bajrang and Vinesh. And the one who wrote the script, Bhupinder Hooda, is responsible for that," he asserted.

He concluded with a warning to Congress: "One day Congress will have to regret it."