Varanasi: Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh said on Saturday that the joining of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia to the Congress party was proof that the Congress was behind the wrestlers' protest and that Deepender Hooda and the Hooda family were the masterminds behind it.
Speaking to ANI, Singh said that this move was bound to happen and that this entire protest was happening at the behest of the Congress party.
"They joined the Congress, so this proves that they were behind that protest. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was associated with the BJP. I am not associated with any party or person but they still opposed me too... This whole protest was politically motivated," he said.
"This was bound to happen. It is known to the whole country that this entire protest was happening at the behest of Congress and its mastermind was Deepender Hooda, the Hooda family. The foundation of this protest was laid on the day when our Prime Minister praised Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, saying that wrestling is in safe hands," he added.
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He further stated that the entire protest had halted the wrestling activity for two years, due to which the country got fewer medals in the Paris Olympics.
"They started the protest and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh distanced himself from wrestling, so the issue should have ended there, but it was politically motivated and Congress was behind it...This entire conspiracy was also hatched because 4-5 wrestling medals were going to come in the Olympics. The protest also affected those medals. There was no wrestling activity for 2 years in the Olympic year, so due to that, we got fewer medals. Our wrestlers were not able to practice... Now these people are not going to have any impact on our wrestling association."," the WFI president said.
Earlier today, former WFI president and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said the joining of Phogat and Punia to the Congress party proves that the entire wrestlers' movement was a "conspiracy" against him and the Congress party was behind it.
Brij Bhushan further stated that just when the wrestler's protest started at Jantar Mantar in January last year, he had claimed that it was not a movement of sportspersons and Congress was behind it, led by Bhupinder Hooda.
"On 18th January 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. 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," he said.
Singh further alleged that the wrestler's protest was not for the dignity of women, adding that because of the protests, the 'daughters' of Haryana are facing embarrassment.
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Earlier on Friday, the two ace wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, joined the Congress almost a month before the Haryana assembly polls.
Punia won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, while Vinesh Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final in Paris last month.
The wrestlers resigned from their respective positions in Northern Railways earlier on that day.
Within hours of them joining the party, wrestler Vinesh Phogat was fielded in the Julana constituency for the upcoming Haryana polls. Whereas, Bajrang Punia was appointed working president of the All India Kisan Congress.
Punia and Phogat joined the Congress in the presence of Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, party leader Pawan Khera, Udai Bhan, and AICC incharge of Haryana Deepak Babaria.
—ANI