Former Lok Sabha MP and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday likened former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his family to the Pandavas, suggesting that just as the Pandavas were not forgiven by the country, the Hooda family would also face the same fate.
“During the Mahabharata, Draupadi was gambled away and the Pandavas lost. The country has still not forgiven the Pandavas for this. Similarly, the Hooda family, by compromising the dignity of our sisters and daughters, will also not be forgiven in the future. They will always be seen as guilty for this,” Singh told the media.
Singh’s statement came after prominent wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress. He alleged that their joining the party confirmed that the protests led by the wrestlers against him were part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by the Congress, with Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the mastermind.
The two wrestlers had led a major protest in 2023, accusing Singh of sexually harassing several female wrestlers during his tenure as the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief.
Singh also emphasized that he is facing three major cases, and the matter is sub judice. He added that his statements are on record and that, as developments unfold, the opposition will not have grounds to comment.
Vinesh Phogat’s Response
Vinesh Phogat, who was fielded by Congress from the Julana constituency in Jind district in its first list of 32 candidates for the Haryana assembly elections, responded to Singh’s remarks on Sunday. She received a warm welcome from party workers and supporters as she launched her campaign.
“Whatever I have won in wrestling, it was because of the people. Hopefully, I will be successful in this too. I will speak about the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar later. The BJP had allowed us to sit there. Brij Bhushan is not the country. The people are with me, they are my own. My own people have supported me,” said Phogat.
She added, “I will succeed in all my battles. The pain of not winning a medal eased as I arrived at the airport in India. I have been facing challenges.”
The controversy surrounding Brij Bhushan Singh’s comments and Vinesh Phogat’s political debut continues to fuel debate ahead of the Haryana assembly elections.