New Delhi: Following BJP’s announcement of fielding Brij Bhushan Singh's son, Karan Bhushan Singh, from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj Lok Sabha constituency in the ongoing general elections, former Indian wrestler and Olympic medallist Sakshee Malikkh criticised the move, saying "this decision has broken the morale of daughters of India.

Brij Bhushan, incumbent parliamentarian and former President of Wrestling Federation of India, is currently facing criminal charges of sexually harassing women wrestlers. Brij Bhushan was accused of sexual harassment in 2023, which followed massive protests by wrestlers in the national capital. The allegations against the former WFI chief were levelled by six top wrestlers including Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia.

In a post on X, Malikkh tweeted, “The daughters of the country lost, Brij Bhushan won. We all put our careers at stake, slept on the streets for many days in the sun and rain. Till date, Brij Bhushan has not been arrested. We were not demanding anything, we were only demanding justice.”

Referring to the sexual assault case, Malikkh questioned the government's decision.

“Leave the arrest, today by giving a ticket to his son you have broken the morale of crores of daughters of the country. The ticket goes to only one family, is the government so weak in front of one man? Only votes are needed in the name of Lord Shri Ram, what about the path shown by him?”, she added.

A Delhi Police chargesheet on the matter indicated that the six-time MP was “liable to be prosecuted and punished for offences" of sexual harassment, molestation and stalking.

‘Misfortune of Country’: Punia on Candidature of Bhushan's Son

The announcement also attracted sharp reaction from wrestler Bajrang Punia who criticised the move, saying “it is the misfortune of the country that daughters who win medals will be dragged on the streets and the son of the person who sexually exploits them will be honored by giving him a ticket.”

Puniya said BJP has given a ticket to Brijbhushan's son at a time when the party is already surrounded by the Revanna case. Prajwal Revanna, MP and NDA candidate for Hassan seat, is at the centre of Karnataka obscene videos case.

He said, “BJP considers itself the biggest party in the world but out of its lakhs of workers, it gave ticket to Brijbhushan's son, that too when BJP is surrounded by the issue of Prajwal Revanna. During the agitations in Punjab and Haryana, people here raise a slogan, “Don't expect anything from governments, take care of yourself.” It is the misfortune of the country that daughters who win medals will be dragged on the streets and the son of the person who sexually exploits them will be honored by giving him a ticket.”

Brij Bhushan Sharan Case

Last year, a political storm erupted after allegations against Brij Bhushan were levelled up by wrestlers, demanding his arrest.

Olympic medallists Sakshee Malikk and Bajrang Punia, along with Vinesh Phogat, took to Delhi streets to protest against him, accusing him of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour during his tenure as the chief of Wrestling Federation of India. Meanwhile, he denied all allegations against him in the case, which is in court. Amid charges of sexual assault, the BJP MP had resigned as the chief of the country's wrestling body.

A Delhi court had last week dismissed an application by Brij Bhushan, seeking further probe of evidence concerning his whereabouts on the date -- September 7, 2022 -- of an alleged sexual harassment incident. He had submitted in the court that he was not in the national capital on the day when one of the complainant wrestlers was allegedly sexually harassed.