Brij Bhushan Singh Accuses Vinesh Phogat of Cheating to Attend Olympics, Claims "God Punished Her"

Former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment by prominent wrestlers last year, has launched a fresh attack on Olympic medallist Vinesh Phogat.

Singh accused Phogat of cheating to qualify for the Olympics, claiming that her inability to win a medal was because "God had punished her."

His comments came after Phogat and fellow Olympic wrestler Bajrang Punia joined the Congress party, with Phogat contesting the Haryana polls and Punia being appointed the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress.

Singh, known for his controversial statements, used the opportunity to criticize the athletes and their involvement with Congress, while also questioning the integrity of their wrestling careers.

"You Did Not Win the Wrestling, You Cheated"

During his tirade, Singh questioned the fairness of Phogat's trials and her path to the Olympics. He asked whether it was possible for a wrestler to compete in two weight categories on the same day and cast doubts on how her trials were conducted.

"I want to ask those who are experts in wrestling. I want to ask Vinesh Phogat whether a player can give trials in two weight categories in a day? Can the trials be stopped for five hours after the weigh-in?" Singh said.

"You did not win the wrestling, you went there by cheating. God has punished you for the same." (as quoted by ANI). He also accused the athletes of disrupting wrestling activities in Haryana over the last two and a half years.

"Haryana is the crown of India in the field of sports. And they stopped the wrestling activities for almost 2.5 years. Is it not true that Bajrang went to the Asian Games without trials?" Singh asked, directing more criticism at Punia.

The former WFI president further accused Phogat of exploiting her connections and manipulating the system to secure her spot. "Didn't you use the referees of the railway? You didn't win the wrestling, you cheated. You cheated the junior wrestlers. God has given you the same punishment," Singh added.

"Congress Will Repent One Day"

Shifting his focus to the Congress party, Singh expressed his disdain for Phogat and Punia's political entry, predicting that the party would regret their decision. "One day Congress will have to repent," Singh said ominously.

Singh also took the opportunity to defend himself against the sexual harassment allegations, which had led to widespread protests from wrestlers, including Phogat and Punia.

"I am not guilty of disrespecting daughters. If anyone is guilty of disrespecting daughters, it is Bajrang and Vinesh. And the one who wrote the script, Bhupinder Hooda, is responsible for that," Singh said, blaming Congress leader Hooda for orchestrating the protests.

When asked about wrestler Sakshi Malik's remark that Singh shared the same ideological alignment as Congress, he remained cryptic, saying, "Now I cannot express my opinion on this."

However, Singh expressed frustration over the protests, stating, "When the demonstration on Jantar Mantar had started, there were many people who thought that perhaps there is some truth in this. There has been misbehavior with the women. Today, even those people feel deceived."

Singh's remarks have reignited tensions between him and the wrestling community, as the former WFI president continues to challenge the legitimacy of the wrestlers' protests and their subsequent political affiliations.

His sharp words reflect his unwillingness to back down from the ongoing controversy surrounding his role in Indian wrestling and his feud with the athletes who once led the charge against him.