Flanked by office-bearers of the Wrestling Federation of India, its former president and sexual-harassment accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh took centrestage Saturday as the WFI announced the resumption of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL).
The league, launched in 2015, was shut down in 2019 over a cash crunch and the pandemic.
The former six-time Member of Parliament is facing trial in a Delhi court after some of the country’s top women wrestlers accused him of sexual harassment in 2023. The formal invite named him as the “guest of honour” for the evening.
When the sports ministry suspended the newly elected WFI body after his close associate Sanjay Singh was elected president in December 2023, Brij Bhushan, following a meeting with BJP president J P Nadda, had said he had “taken sanyas from wrestling”. He was then a sitting BJP MP.
On Saturday, Brij Bhushan was welcomed on stage with a bouquet by the wrestling league CEO, Akhil Gupta, and he was on the dais with current WFI office-bearers.
Seated to his left was Sanjay Singh, the current WFI president.
Asked about the viability of the re-launched PWL, Sanjay Singh said: “Baba Vishwanath ki kripa se yeh saalo saal chalegi, baaki Netaji (Brij Bhushan) ka aashirvaad hai, (The league will continue for years, with the blessings of Baba Vishwanath and Netaji).”
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Asked about his role in the PWL — comprising six teams with nine wrestlers each, including four women — Brij Bhushan said he was present on the invitation of the WFI. He said he remains a “khel ka premi” (sports lover) and a “kushti ka premi” (wrestling enthusiast).
“Many wrestlers, men and women, requested me to tell the WFI president to restart the league. I have no role in the league. I am a former president (of the WFI) and I am a sports lover and a wrestling enthusiast. Nobody can take this away from me. The WFI invited me here, saying it would be nice if I was present. I am hopeful that wrestlers around the country, women and men, seniors and juniors and cadet wrestlers, will all be happy (because of the resumption of PWL),” he said.
Asked if he was running the show from behind the scenes, Brij Bhushan laughed and said: “Parde ke piche bahut kuch hota hai (many things happen behind the scenes)”.
Some of the biggest names in Indian wrestling, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, had protested at Jantar Mantar in 2023, demanding Brij Bhushan’s arrest after six women wrestlers filed complaints of sexual harassment against him.
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Responding to a question Saturday, Brij Bhushan said nobody, including the protesters, would be barred from participating in the PWL. “There will be no discrimination against anyone. If they want to be part of the league, I will tell the president to give them a chance,” he said, adding, “We have to move forward in a positive way and not a negative way”.
Sanjay Singh, meanwhile, credited Brij Bhushan with starting the wrestling league in India. “I am happy that the Pro Wrestling League that our respected Netaji started in 2015… he had a dream of taking wrestling to new heights… that dream is being fulfilled once again today,” said Sanjay Singh.
Brij Bhushan’s son, Karan Bhushan Singh, was the evening’s second “guest of honour”. Karan Bhushan, who is the president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association, successfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the family seat of Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh — he got the BJP ticket following the sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan.
While he was not on stage, Karan Bhushan was later seen following his father out of the hall.
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In June 2023, a 1,500-page chargesheet was filed against Brij Bhushan for alleged sexual harassment, assault and stalking of six women wrestlers; it had statements of at least 22 witnesses from across four states, including wrestlers, a referee, a coach and a physiotherapist.
In May 2024, charges were framed against him under IPC Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354A (sexual harassment).
The trial began in July 2024 and is yet to be concluded. Earlier, Brij Bhushan was discharged in a POCSO case after the father of one of the complainants, a minor, said he had made a false complaint.
