Political Feud Intensifies: Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia Respond to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s Attacks

Political Feud Intensifies: Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia Respond to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s Attacks

A heated exchange has emerged between wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, following the athletes’ foray into politics. The confrontation began after Phogat and Punia joined the Congress party ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections.

In a response to Singh’s criticisms, Phogat, who has been fielded by Congress from Julana, fired back, emphasizing her achievements and resilience. “Consider all his accusations… He once said he would hang himself if any woman came forward with allegations. Many did, and what did he do? He accused me of cheating and attempting to alter rules. Despite these challenges, I qualified for the Olympics on my own and proved him wrong at every turn. I will continue to do so,” Phogat told NDTV on Sunday.

Phogat and Punia, who joined Congress last Friday, are gearing up for the October elections in Haryana, where the BJP has held power since October 2014. Punia has been appointed as the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress. Phogat, recently disqualified from the Paris Olympics for being overweight before her final bout, will be contesting from her home constituency of Julana.

Singh, reacting to their political entry, remarked that Phogat’s Olympic disqualification was “God’s punishment” for her alleged dishonesty.

The controversy traces back to last year when Singh, then president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), faced protests led by Phogat, Punia, and Sakshi Malik. The protests were in response to allegations of sexual harassment by Singh, including accusations involving minor wrestlers, which he has consistently denied.