BJP advises Brij Bhushan against speaking on Vinesh Phogat ...

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh also attacked Vinesh Phogat after the Congress named her as the candidate for the Haryana Assembly election from Julana.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had said that the names of Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia would be erased from people's memory after they joined Congress. (File photo)

The BJP has advised former party MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to refrain from giving statements against Olympic wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, sources said on Sunday.

The BJP top brass's advice came days after the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief attacked the two wrestlers for joining the Congress ahead of Haryana Assembly elections.

Speaking to the media, Singh had said that Vinesh and Bajrang made a name in wrestling and became famous for the strength of the sport but after joining Congress, their names will be erased.

Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia were among the wrestlers who led a sit-in protest against Brij Bhushan Singh last year, accusing him of harassing several young junior wrestlers.

Brij Bhushan Singh further said that Vinesh and Bajrang are mistaken if they are thinking that they would win the assembly elections. "They can contest any Assembly seat in Haryana, a small BJP candidate will defeat them", he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Notably, a day later, Vinesh was fielded from Haryana's Julana Assembly segment by the Congress.

Meanwhile, Bajrang Punia was appointed the All India Kisan Congress chief and will be participating in the election campaign.

On September 6, Phogat and Punia, who led the wrestlers' protest against Singh last year, joined the Congress with a promise of “not being scared or backing off."

Phogat, after joining the party, had said the BJP was supporting Singh while the Congress supported the protesting wrestlers when they "were being dragged on the roads" in Delhi. Punia also echoed Phogat, saying that the Congress stood with them during their tough times.

BJP leaders alleged that the wrestlers' protest was a 'conspiracy' by the Congress to target BJP.