Will hang myself if charges against me proved, says WFI chief Brij Bhushan

WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh during an interaction with the media. Pic/PTI

Outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment charges levelled by female wrestlers, on Wednesday said he will hang himself even if a single allegation is proved against him.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP also said all wrestlers are like his children and he will not blame them as his blood and sweat have also gone into their success. "I am once again saying that if even if a single allegation is proved against me, I will hang myself," Singh said while addressing a programme at the Mahadeva auditorium in the Ramnagar area here.

"It has been four months since they (wrestlers) want me to be hanged, but the government is not hanging me. So they were going to immerse their medals in the Ganga. Brij Bhushan will not be hanged by throwing medals in the Ganga. If you have proof, give it to the court and if the court hangs me, I will accept it," the member of Parliament from Kaiserganj said.

He said he will not blame the wrestlers as his blood and sweat have also gone into their success. "All the players are like my children. Until a few days ago, they used to call me the god of wrestling. When I took over as the wrestling federation chief, India was ranked 20th in the world. Today, after my hard work, India's name is included among the five best wrestling teams in the world.

"I have lived wrestling day and night. Five of the seven Olympic medals (in wrestling) came to India during my tenure. The allegations levelled against me are baseless," the outgoing WFI chief said.

He urged the people to join the "Jan Chetna Maha Rally" to be held in Ayodhya on June 5 in large numbers. The wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat, who were protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar since April 23 demanding Singh's arrest, were removed from the site by police on Sunday after they tried to march towards the new Parliament building following its inauguration. They were detained before being released later.

The Delhi Police has registered two FIRs against Singh. The first FIR pertains to the allegations levelled by a minor and it has been lodged under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with the sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning outraging modesty. The other FIR has been registered over complaints from women wrestlers pertaining to outraging modesty.

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