Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 8: Even before the BJP cautioned its former MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to maintain silence over the two Olympian wrestlers joining the Congress in Haryana, the angry outburst against them by the former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) gave enough opportunity to Vinesh Phogat to launch her election campaign on Sunday lambasting the ruling party.
Realising that Mr Singh’s calling Ms Phogat a “cheat” and virtually expressing pleasure at her disqualification after winning her way to the final of the 50 Kg category at the Paris Olympics as “God’s punishment” would not go down well with the voters in Haryana where the BJP is making a bid to retain power for the third consecutive term, the party on Sunday issued a gag order on Singh to stay away from the Punia-Phogat controversy.
Top sources in the BJP confirmed that Mr Singh’s adverse comments on the wrestlers were “not taken well” among certain sections in Haryana and that it was an “unnecessary side show” with regard to the BJP’s campaign. BJP president J. P. Nadda is said to have spoken to Mr Singh on maintaining a “judicious silence” on the two wrestlers who were at the forefront of the agitation last year accusing Singh of sexual harassment of some women wrestlers during his 12 years tenure as the WFI president.
“Vinesh Phogat had captured the imagination of people by her fights in the Olympics in Paris and in terms of optics and tone, Brij Bhushan’s comments are inadvisable,” said a senior BJP office bearer.
Ms Phogat, who launched her election campaign as the Congress candidate for the Julana seat, hit back at Mr Singh and the BJP on his comments over Paris Olympics disqualification and said such comments showcase his mentality. “Comments made by Brij Bhushan Singh showcase his mentality,” Phogat said.
While addressing a gathering in Khera Bakhta area, the wrestler-turned politician said she would remain thankful for the love and respect she was receiving. Phogat further said she expects to win each battle with the blessings of people as kicks off her campaign for the upcoming assembly election.
“I’m receiving a warm welcome in every part of the country. I will always be thankful to God for the love and respect I’ve been receiving. I’ve forgotten the pain that I had to go through because of the love and respect that I’ve received from you. Therefore, I will remain thankful if I’m able to reduce your sufferings. The land of Jind has been historic, and people here are very brave,” she said.
She said at every stage she had proved wrong Brij Bhushan Singh, who had claimed on Saturday that she and Bajrang Punia joining the Congress had proved that the agitation against him was “politically motivated” and the two wrestlers were mere pawns in the hands of the Haryana Congress leaders who had written the script for the agitation.
“Two BJP leaders had taken permission to sit at Jantar Mantar. He should look there. He would find all his answers,” Ms Phogat said. “As for Olympics — 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 Olympics, I qualified by myself. I have proved him wrong at every turn and will do so now as well, for whatever he is saying,” she added.
The former BJP MP faced allegations of sex harassment from some of the top athletes in the country including Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik. Mr Singh has alleged the allegations against him were a conspiracy hatched by the Congress, pointing at Ms Phogat and wrestler Bajrang Punia joining the Congress party ahead of the assembly election in Haryana.
“They (Mr Punia and Ms Phogat) were the faces… they were mohrey (pawns). They were used like pawns by (former Haryana Chief Minister) Bhupinder Hooda, the Congress and the Congress family,” Mr Singh had said. “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 (Gandhi), the Congress keeps doing these things,” he said.
It was in 2012 when Mr Singh first got control of the WFI after a bitter turf war with Mr Hooda. Following Mr Singh’s latest comments, the BJP asked him not to pass any more comments against the wrestlers, sources said.
Haryana sends a large number of sportspersons to national teams. Athletes in the state are seen to command large loyal followers, and this may have prompted the BJP to caution its former MP to keep quiet. The BJP does not want to see any new narrative linked to the wrestlers’ protest, which had drawn a lot of support in Haryana, sources said.
After the allegations made by the women wrestlers, the BJP did not give Mr Singh a ticket from Kaiserganj and made his son Karan Bhushan Singh the candidate in the Lok Sabha election earlier this year. Karan Bhushan Singh won the election by a margin of over 1.48 lakh votes, defeating Samajwadi Party’s Bhagat Ram.
On Friday, both Ms Phogat and Mr Punia said they would continue the fight against Mr Singh with the former asserting she would ensure that no woman faces what she had to go through. The 30-year-old, who is a two-time world championships medallist besides being an Asiad gold-winner, will contest from Julana constituency. Mr Punia has been made the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress.