Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh): Facing allegations of sexual harassment of women wrestlers, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Wednesday said that he would "hang" himself if even a single allegation against him was proven. Speaking at a public rally in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP lawmaker also asked the wrestlers to submit any evidence that they have in the court.
Star wrestlers including Olympians Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat have been protesting the inaction against Brij Bhushan Singh, whom they have accused of sexual harassment of women grapplers. These wrestlers had even threatened to immerse their medals in river Ganga in Haridwar. They had reached the holy town in Uttarakhand on Tuesday evening. They however refrained from the act after intervention by farmer leader Naresh Tikait.
"If a single allegation against me is proven, then I will hang myself and nobody will have to say anything," said the WFI president. Terming the wrestlers' protest as an "emotional drama", Singh took a jibe at the protesting grapplers.
"It's been four months and they want me to be hanged. The government is not hanging me that's why they gathered at Haridwar on Tuesday and threatened to immerse their medals in the Ganga. This will not bring the sentence that they want for me, it is all emotional drama. If you (wrestlers) have any evidence, present it in the Court and I am ready to accept any punishment," Singh said.
According to Singh, the Delhi police were investigating the matter and he would have been arrested if there was any truth to the charges. Meanwhile, Delhi Police officials said the probe into the sexual harassment case against Singh is in progress. They also termed the reports claiming that Delhi Police has not found sufficient evidence as "wrong".
In a tweet, the Delhi Police said, "Several media channels are running a story that the Police hasn't found sufficient evidence in the cases registered against the President of WFI and a final report in the matter is due to be submitted before the concerned court. It is to clarify that this news is 'wrong' and the investigation into this sensitive case is under progress with all sensitivity."
The national capital witnessed high drama on Sunday last. The wrestlers were removed from Jantar Mantar, the site of the wrestler's protest after they tried to march to the new Parliament building following its inauguration. The wrestlers were also detained by the Delhi Police. They were however released later. Meanwhile, Naresh Tikait has announced of holding a Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar's Soram village in Uttar Pradesh.
