LS polls: Sack Brij Bhushan, withdraw his son's ticket, says Jairam Ramesh

Jairam Ramesh slammed the BJP for rewarding him by giving a ticket to his son Karan Bhushan Singh

The Congress on Friday demanded the BJP sack former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after a Delhi court ordered framing of sexual harassment and other charges against him.

It also demanded the Lok Sabha ticket given to his son be withdrawn.

In a post on X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said the BJP has tried to "hide behind the fig leaf" by giving a ticket to his son from the Kaiserganj seat, which is presently represented by Brij Bhushan in Lok Sabha.

"Today, a Delhi court has ordered the framing of charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the BJP's goonda-MP who has been accused of sexually harassing five women wrestlers, including a minor," Ramesh said.

"Remember, this is the same Brij Bhushan who had called for the dilution of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) law. Brij Bhushan, who abused his position as head of the Wrestling Federation of India to sexually assault women. Brij Bhushan, also accused in terror-linked TADA and murder cases," Ramesh said.

He slammed the BJP for rewarding him by giving a ticket to his son Karan Bhushan Singh.

"Rather than holding him accountable, the BJP has rewarded Brij Bhushan's actions with a Lok Sabha ticket. They have tried to hide behind the fig leaf that the ticket is for his son, but everyone, including Brij Bhushan himself, knows that the ticket is solid proof that Modi-Shah and the entire BJP are fully supporting him," he said, adding, 'nari shakti' is just a slogan for the BJP.

"From covering up the Hathras, Kathua, and Ankita Bhandari cases, to sheltering Prajwal Ravanna, Kuldeep Sengar, Ramdulal Gaur, and now Brij Bhushan Singh, it is clear that the BJP is the party of choice for rapists.

"In 'Modi ka Parivar,' nari shakti is just a slogan to be projected while the 'Parivar' members shelter the perpetrators of sexual violence," the Congress leader said. "Our women wrestlers deserve justice," he added.

Ramesh said "If the prime minister has even a shred of integrity, even a pretense of belief in nari shakti, he would immediately condemn Brij Bhushan, and suspend him from the BJP until the verdict in this case is delivered."

Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who stepped down from the post amid a raging protest against him over the sexual harassment allegations by women wrestlers, was dropped by the BJP for the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat this time, and the ticket was given to his son Karan.

His other son, Prateek Bhushan Singh, represents Gonda in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

The allegations of sexual harrasment were made against Brij Bhushan Singh by six women wrestlers.

Several top grapplers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, had staged a sit-in at Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding that he be sacked as (WFI) president.

A Delhi court on Friday ordered framing of sexual harassment and other charges against Singh, a BJP MP, in a case lodged by six female wrestlers, observing there was "sufficient evidence" against him.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot directed framing of charges against the six-time Lok Sabha MP under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), and 506 (criminal intimidation).