Congress Leader Responds to Brij Bhushan's Claims on Wrestlers Joining Party

Congress leader Kuldeep Vats reacts to ex-WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's comments on Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joining Congress. Vats criticized BJP's policies and defended the wrestlers, while Bhushan alleges Congress conspiracies behind the wrestlers' protest.

In response to former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's assertion that the Congress would regret bringing wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia into the fold, Congress leader Kuldeep Vats accused Singh of speaking out of sheer arrogance. Vats, speaking to ANI on Saturday, lambasted the BJP's 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' slogan as a farce, and criticized the party for disrespecting soldiers and farmers with policies like Agniveer and the handling of the farmers' protests.

Vats leveled further allegations against the BJP, asserting, 'The arrogance that Brij Bhushan possesses is driving his statements. The BJP's lofty slogans are merely lies. They have shown disrespect to soldiers through Agniveer and to farmers who protested at the Delhi border for over a year.' Vats continued, 'When our wrestlers won medals, BJP leaders, including PM Modi, were quick to congratulate them. But when these athletes raised their voices against injustices, it became our responsibility to support them, and Congress will always stand with our people.'

Earlier in the day, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had claimed that Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia's entry into Congress proved that the wrestlers' movement was a conspiracy against him orchestrated by the Congress, specifically led by Bhupinder Hooda. Singh alleged that the wrestlers' protest, which began in January 2023 at Jantar Mantar, was driven by Congress' political agenda rather than the athletes' concerns.

Singh went further, stating, 'On January 18, 2023, I said that this is not a sportsperson's movement; it's controlled by the Congress, especially Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender Hooda, Priyanka Ji, and Rahul Ji. This conspiracy has now been proven. Congress will one day regret this decision.'

Singh also dismissed the wrestlers' protest as not being about women's dignity and claimed it embarrassed Haryana's daughters. The remarks came just a day after Phogat and Punia joined Congress, with Phogat being fielded in the Julana constituency for the Haryana polls, and Punia being appointed as the working president of the All India Kisan Congress.

(With inputs from agencies.)