India’s top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi for the last few days over the issue of sexual harassment allegations against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The Delhi Police said it has received seven complaints from them and was conducting an inquiry.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Delhi government and others on a plea by seven women wrestlers alleging non-registration of an FIR on their sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan, saying these are “serious allegations” requiring its consideration.
The Olympian wrestlers have demanded the government make public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated the allegations against Brij Bhushan, who is ruling out resignation while blaming political and corporate rivals for the row.
Here’s all about Brij Bhusan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment allegations:
- Brij Bhusan is a Bharatiya Janata Party (MP) from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh and is also WFI president.
- He is a six time MP (five times from BJP and one time from Samajwadi Party). In 1991, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from UP’s Gonda seat as BJP candidate for the first time. He was re-elected in 1999 from the same constituency and in 2004, he was re-elected to the Lower House of Parliament from Balrampur seat in Uttar Pradesh on the BJP ticket.
- In 2008, he joined the Samajwadi Party and he was re-elected to Lok Sabha from Kaiserganj seat in 2009. Later, he joined the BJP months before the Lok Sabha elections and is currently the BJP MP.
- News18 reported in January that Brij Bhushan, on his personal website, says he held the Ram Janmabhoomi movement “shoulder to shoulder” with LK Advani. Singh claims he shared a “very close bond” with famous wrestlers of yesteryears such as Janardhan Singh, Ram Aasre, Ramachandra and Ganga Prasad.
- Named as an accused in the Babri demolition case, Brij Bhusan calls himself “shaktishali" (powerful) and has tied this image with a potent mix of muscle power, deep pockets and a vast network of patronage.
- The 66-year-old leader owns and manages over 50 education institutions in Uttar Pradesh. The institutes are run in districts like Bahraich, Gonda, Balrampur, Ayodhya and Shrawasti.
- His huge mansion at his native place has a helipad and he has a liking for premium cars and multi-purpose vehicles.
- On his website, Brij Bhusan says a “fake case” was filed against him at the age of 16 in 1974 when his home was demolished due to family rivalry but he was booked for attempted murder. “This affected him deeply and a feeling of social service rose in his heart,” his website says.
- The website also claims that in his student days, he once “saved the respect of girls” who were being eve-teased and later won the students’ union election in 1979.
- A video of him slapping a young wrestler in Ranchi had gone viral in 2021 after the grappler tried to plead his case with him. The athlete was considered overage and wanted Brij Bhushan to help him as he trained in one of the centres operated by the WFI bossman, officials had then claimed.
- Brij Bhusan was booked four times under the UP Gangster Act till 1993 and was once charged under the dreaded Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). He was also arrested along with senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh and others after the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. He was acquitted by a court in 2020.
(with inputs from PTI)
Read all the Latest Politics News here