New Delhi: Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh called out former wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat after their decision to join the Indian National Congress (INC) party ahead of the Haryana state assembly elections this year.
On Friday, Vinesh and Bajrang were welcomed to India’s oldest party by their current president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi. Both the grapplers are based from Haryana and have won some prestigious titles in the world of international wrestling.
Bajrang is the bronze medallist at the 2016 Tokyo Olympics while Vinesh has won two medals in the World Championships. Both have also won gold medals in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta in their respective categories.
The two were the face of wrestler’s protest last year when many top and young players from India came on the streets of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to demand investigations against ex WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over charges of sexual harassment and molestation on female wrestlers.
The current WFI president Sanjay Singh said that Congress party was the reason behind the wrestler’s protest after the inclusions of Vinesh and Bajrang into the political entity. He alleged that the wrestlers have committed treason against the nation.
“Congress and the said wrestlers have committed an act of ‘desh droh’ (treason) in an Olympic year. We lost at least six medals because of them,” Sanjay Singh said in an interview with IANS.
“Deepender Hooda was behind it. He orchestrated the entire protest,” he added.
Brijbhushan Singh slams Congress for wrestler’s protest
Brijbhushan Singh, a former member of Parliament, was at the loggerheads with the wrestlers for more than a year until he announced the decision to quit administration role with the WFI. Speaking about the charges levelled by the wrestlers against him last year, the 67-year-old said:
“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 added:
“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.”
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh called out former wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat after their decision to join the Indian National Congress (INC) party ahead of the Haryana state assembly elections this year. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
