Brij Bhushan Singh postpones Ayodhya rally as wrestlers press for his arrest

The postponement came amid growing demands for his arrest over allegations of sexual harassment of top wrestlers, including at least one minor

Updated on: Jun 2, 2023, 13:05:08 IST

By Pawan Dixit

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Friday postponed his “grand rally” in Ayodhya on June 5 amid growing demands for his arrest over allegations of sexual harassment of top wrestlers, including at least one minor.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. (ANI)

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The announcement came a day after representatives of around 50 khaps or clan-based outfits met in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar in support of the wrestlers. They said they will meet President Droupadi Murmu to press for action against Singh even as the Union government reiterated it was handling the matter sensitively.

In a Facebook post, Singh cited the ongoing police investigation against him and Supreme Court directives while announcing the postponement of the June 5 “grand rally”. Saints of Ayodhya were expected to share the dais with Singh at the rally.

Ayodhya saints held a press conference to express solidarity with Singh last week and demanded an amendment to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act under which he has been booked. They alleged POCSO Act was being misused and that Singh was being harassed.

Also Read| What Brij Bhushan Singh said after wrestlers threatened to throw medals in Ganga

On Wednesday, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, Rio Games bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, and double World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat held off on immersing their medals in the Ganga as part of their protest against Singh.

The wrestlers broke down in a huddle played out on live television on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar.

Singh, who headed the now-suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for 12 years, has been slapped with two cases and the wrestlers have demanded his immediate arrest.

He said on Wednesday that he would hang himself if a single allegation was proven against him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pawan Dixit
Pawan Dixit, Assistant Editor, brings over 20 years of frontline reporting experience to the newsroom. A specialist on Uttar Pradesh politics and governance, he has reported from the ground across the state’s most consequential stories. He cut his teeth in eastern UP, spending 15 years covering the region. Based in Varanasi, he reported the 2012 UP Assembly polls and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that reshaped the state’s political map. Moving to Lucknow in 2016, he has since led coverage of the 2017 and 2022 UP Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His reporting tracks the BJP’s strategy, opposition moves, and voter sentiment across all 75 districts. Pawan has been a constant presence in Ayodhya since 2016. He reported the entire arc of the Ram Mandir movement — from the legal fight to the Supreme Court verdict, through temple construction, to the inauguration. He continues to track every development at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On the state beat, he covers the BJP, the Industrial Development Department, and handles key outstation political assignments. He also reports major cases from the district court, Lucknow bench of the High Court, and the State Information Commission. Along with this, he also reports on NGT's important decisions related to UP. Known for sharp sourcing and clear analysis, Pawan connects politics, policy, infrastructure and faith — the forces driving UP today. He has reported developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir movement since 2016. The Supreme Court's Ram Mandir verdict, temple construction and the its opening have been reported by him. He reports all developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir Trust. He covers state BJP, Industrial development department, outstation political assignments, reports special cases from district court, high court and state information commissionRead More