‘Will hang myself if charges against me proved’
LUCKNOW : Outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment charges levelled by women wrestlers, on Wednesday said he will “hang” himself even if a single allegation was proved against him.
“I am ready to accept any punishment. If a single allegation against me is proven, I will hang myself,” Singh said addressing a public rally in UP’s Barabanki, ahead of his rally at Ayodhya’s Ram Katha Park on June 5 in support of his claim. He challenged the protesting wrestlers to present any evidence against him on sexual harassment charges.
“If you (wrestlers) have any evidence, present it in the court and I am ready to accept any punishment,” Singh said.
He also took a jibe at wrestlers for announcing to immerse their medals in Ganga as a mark of their protest against him.
“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,” he said.
“The matter is under investigation by the Delhi Police. If there’s any truth to the charges levelled against me by the wrestlers during the last four months, an arrest will be made,” added Singh. Olympians Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat have been demanding the removal and arrest of the WFI president over allegations of sexual harassment. An FIR was filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act, said Delhi Police. On Tuesday, the international governing body for wrestlers, United World Wrestling (UWW), condemned the Delhi Police action against the wrestlers on Sunday, when they were detained while marching towards the newly constructed Parliament and threatened to suspend the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), if its pending elections were not held within the stipulated time. Meanwhile, a PTI report added that the Delhi Police on Wednesday said it had not found sufficient evidence to prove women wrestlers’ allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and to arrest him. The police will submit a report in court within 15 days, a senior official said.