Congress' Pawan Khera slams Brij Bhushan Singh's comments on wrestlers' protest, says party stands with them

New Delhi [India], September 7 : Congress leader Pawan Khera slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, saying that the BJP takes a stand for those who do wrong and that the Congress raises their voice against the wrong, following claims made by former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh that the wrestler's protest was politically motivated by the Congress.
Speaking to ANI, Khera said, "Whoever does wrong, the BJP stands with them and they are with the BJP. Whoever is wronged, Congress fights for them and raises their voice and will raise it in the future too and that is why they also like Congress."
"Six players had filed an FIR against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Have you seen what sections he was accused of? How dare he speak like this? We are proud that we stood, are standing and will stand with our daughters," Khera added.
On Brij Bhushan's statement of Congress regretting the joining of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia to the party and allegations thrown at Bhupinder Hooda and Deepender Hooda for politically motivating the protest, Khera said that the party will never regret standing up for their daughters and that the Hooda family has done no wrong in raising their voice against the wrong.
"We will never regret that we stood with our daughters; they should regret it... What has the Hooda family done wrong by raising their voice? This is what needs to be done. What is the point of politics if we don't stand by them?" he added.
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 the Congress would regret their decision and claimed that the wrestler's protest that started in Jantar Mantar in January last year was not a movement of sportspersons and Congress was behind it, which was 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.
"One day Congress will have to regret it," he further added. 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.
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.