Despite the criticism from all corners, ultimately BJP has given ticket to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s son for the current Lok Sabha election. Singh’s son Karan Sharan Singh has been nominated as a BJP candidate in his father’s Kaiser Ganj seat in Uttar Pradesh, a seat Brij Bhushan has previously won six times. Brij Bhushan Singh is accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour during his tenure as the President of Wrestling Federation of India. Seven female wrestlers, including one minor, had filed complaints with the police accusing Brij Bhushan Singh of molesting and groping them at training camps and tournaments, but Brij Bhushan Singh had denied all the allegations, accusing the wrestlers of being “politically motivated.”

Top Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, among others protested at the Jantar Mantar in the national capital demanding action against Brij Bhushan, who they had accused of sexually harassing women grapplers. The wrestlers got support from all strata including farmers’ unions.

But now it seems that BJP has kept its deaf ear towards all the public voices and messaged that it is not caring for any resentment, but why?

Renowned Indian wrestlers, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, have slammed the ruling government party.

Talking to the Indian Express, Bajrang said, “I don’t know why the government is so scared of Brij Bhushan. His son getting the ticket also shows the ‘Parivarvad’ in the BJP. The BJP criticises other parties saying ‘Parivarvad’ exists, but they are no different.”

Expressing her anguish over extending Lok Sabha ticket to the son of Brij Bhushan’s son, Sakshi Malik, the Indian woman Olympian medallist, writes on her tweeter (X) account in Hindi, “The daughters of the country lost, Brij Bhushan won. We all put our careers at stake, slept on the streets for many days in sun and rain. Till date Brij Bhushan has not been arrested. We were not demanding anything; we were only demanding justice. Leave the arrest, today by giving ticket to his son you have broken the morale of crores of daughters of the country. If the ticket goes to only one family, is the country’s government so weak in front of one man?”

Congress in its tweet on X in Hindi quotes Priyanka Gandhi’s speech in a rally in Banaskantha, Gujarat on May 4, Wherein Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi questions the favouring of Brij Bhushan by giving LS ticket to his son, “Today, wherever women are being tortured in the country, the BJP government has supported the criminals. BJP government and Modi ji did not provide any help in Unnao case, Hathras case, women wrestlers case. BJP gave ticket in Uttar Pradesh to the son of the person who tortured women wrestlers. Rajput women were insulted in Gujarat. Did PM Modi take action against that candidate?”

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also made a scathing attack on BJP on the issue of son of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing allegations of sexual abuse of Indian women wrestlers, getting a Lok Sabha ticket and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda’s grandson HD Revanna sexually abusing hundreds of women.

On Friday, May 3, AAP Punjab’s senior leader and spokesperson Neel Garg said that BJP is not just a threat to the Constitution of the country. It is also a threat to the women of the country. BJP is no longer Bharatiya Janata Party, it has now become the Balatkari Janata Party, alleges Neel Garg in a party press release. 

 He said that on one hand BJP gives the slogan of Beti Bachao – Beti Padhao and on the other hand it encourages people who sexually exploit women by giving them Lok Sabha tickets.

He said that women wrestlers in Delhi protested against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for months but BJP did not take any action against him. Neither any BJP leader, nor any minister, nor the Prime Minister spoke a word against Brij Bhushan Singh. Now on the contrary, his son has been given a Lok Sabha ticket.

He said that giving a Lok Sabha ticket to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s son is not just an insult to the women wrestlers of the country, it is an insult to all the women of India. He said that the people of the country are watching these misdeeds of BJP. In this election, the people of the country, especially women, will exact the price of these insults and abuse from the BJP.

Is BJP scared of Brij Bhushan Singh?

Renowned Wrestler Bajrang Punia raises the question, “I don’t know why the government is so scared of Brij Bhushan?”

It is pertinent to mention here that Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a six-time MP, having a strong hold in Rajput community, has been victorious not only in his present Kaiserganj seat (in 2009, 2014, and 2019) but also in neighbouring constituencies including Gonda (in 1991 and 1999) and Balrampur (in 2004). He has a significant influence over half a dozen Lok Sabha seats in central UP due to his ownership of over 50 educational institutions in the region.

News 18 on MAY 04, 2024 states Mr Singh as irreplaceable, “Observers say Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is perhaps an irreplaceable or important factor in Uttar Pradesh’s politics. While UP’s strongmen politicians are gradually either fading away or being cut down to size by the government, Brij Bhushan seems to be an exception, with influence over the five Lok Sabha constituencies of Kaiserganj, Gonda, Balrampur, Shrawasti, Ayodhya, and Bahraichthrough the 54 educational institutions he owns or is associated with.”

Business Line in its report dated April 18, 2024 had reported that a Rajput agitation is disturbing the BJP’s calculations in the seats where the party had expected to sweep in alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

According to Business Line, the Rajputs believe they have been short-changed by the BJP’s central leadership who they believe is “gunning for Yogi Adityanath”. Other factors such as Union Minister Purushottam Rupala’s comments that the Rajputs compromised with the British and denial of a ticket to General VK Singh from neighbouring Ghaziabad, have also fuelled the anger. The community has taken to organising large gatherings.

By giving ticket to Brijbhushan Sharan Singh’s son Karan Singh, BJP has given the message that it has no qualms against those who play with the honor of the country’s sisters and daughters. Because their aim is only to cross 400. It doesn’t matter to him whether it is Ujjwal Revanna or Brij Bhushan Singh.

Indicating towards the injustice with women wrestlers, a Delhi based senior journalist, K P Malik says, “But the question is that the election chariot of the so-called RLD chief (without naming Jayant Chaudhary), who does politics of Jat community and farmers, will go to Kaiserganj to campaign for the son of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and make him win the election? Because RLD has been claiming that it is contesting elections on 80 out of 80 seats with BJP. So Kesarganj also comes in 80? Will RLD’s claim of 80 be fruitful? Have politicians become so selfish and blind that they cannot even demand justice for women wrestlers?”

Malik further adds, “I am asking this question as a journalist, son of a farmer and a citizen of Western UP. Along with me, society and farmers should also ask this question? Do you know that you only take votes and donations in the name of society and caste, you have no accountability towards the society? Whether anyone asks or not, I will ask the question?”

 AAP Punjab’s senior leader and spokesperson Neel Garg says  that the people of the country are watching these misdeeds of BJP. In this election, the people of the country, especially women, will exact the price of these insults and abuse from the BJP.

Can BJP dare to ignore or neglect Brij Bhushan? No is the straight answer in the present scenario, when BJP seems to be facing hardship to repeat its third term.

Jag Mohan Thaken is a Senior Journalist, Columnist & Political Analyst, views are personal