The Congress on Saturday said that while it “fights for those who are wronged”, the Bharatiya Janata Party “supports those who do wrong”, reported ANI.
The remark came after former Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said that the wrestlers’ protest against him last year was a “conspiracy” by the Congress.
In January last year, several top Indian wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, launched a protest against Singh, accusing him of intimidation and sexual harassment. The protestors were manhandled by the police at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on May 3, 2023.
Phogat and Punia joined the Congress on Friday at the party headquarters in Delhi.
Following this, Singh told ANI: “On January 18, 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.”
He said it had been proved that the protest was a “movement of Congress”.
“In this entire movement, the conspiracy that happened against us, Congress was involved in it and Bhupinder Hooda was leading it,” said Singh.
Responding to the statement, Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday said that his party was “proud that we stood, are standing and will stand with our daughters”.
“Six players had filed a first information report against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh,” Khera told ANI. “Have you seen what sections he was accused of? How dare he speak like this?”
He added: “We will never regret that we stood with our daughters; they should regret it... What has the Hooda family done wrong by raising their voice? This is what needs to be done. What is the point of politics if we don't stand by them?”
On Friday, Congress named Phogat as its candidate from the Julana constituency for the Haryana Assembly elections, scheduled to be held on October 5.
“When we were being dragged on the road, all of you were with us except the BJP,” the wrestler said after joining the party.
The three-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist said she was proud to be “associated with an ideology that stands against the injustice done to women and is ready to fight for their rights from the streets to the Parliament”.
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