BJP advises Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to avoid criticizing Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has instructed former party MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to cease his public criticisms of Olympic wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, according to sources. This advice follows Singh’s recent attacks on the athletes for their alignment with the Congress Party.

Earlier on September 7, Singh, the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), accused Phogat of cheating to qualify for the Olympic Games. He questioned the legitimacy of her trials and suggested that her failure to win a medal was divine retribution. “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,” Singh asserted.

Singh’s comments came a day after Congress named Phogat as its candidate for the Haryana Assembly election from Julana. Singh also alleged that Bajrang Punia participated in the Asian Games without completing the required trials, accusing him of bypassing established protocols.

Phogat and Punia, prominent figures in last year's wrestlers' protest against Singh, joined the Congress on Friday. Phogat is contesting the Haryana Assembly elections, while Punia has been appointed as the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress. Singh has suggested that the Congress’s support for the wrestlers during their protest against him was politically motivated.

Singh further claimed that he is willing to campaign for the BJP in Haryana if requested and expressed confidence that any BJP candidate would defeat Phogat. He also defended himself against accusations of disrespecting women, shifting blame to the Congress and its leaders.

In response, Phogat and Punia have criticized the BJP’s handling of their protest, asserting that the party did not support them during their difficult times. Phogat claimed that while the BJP backed Singh, the Congress supported the wrestlers when they faced adversity. Punia echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the Congress's support during their struggles.