'We are fighting for the country. They are molesting girls': Bajrang Punia blasts Brij Bhushan Singh after his ‘cheating’ dig at Vinesh Phogat

Olympic bronze medallist and Congress leader Bajrang Punia criticized former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh on Saturday. This came after the former BJP MP stated that wrestler Vinesh Phogat "deserved to be disqualified" from the Paris Olympics.

"Is it not true that Bajrang went to the Asian Games without trials? I want to ask those who are experts in wrestling. I want to ask Vinesh Phogat whether a player can give trials in 2 weight categories in a day? Can the trials be stopped for 5 hours after the weigh-in?... You did not win the wrestling, you went there by cheating. God has punished you for the same," Singh told ANI.

In an interview with India Today, Punia slammed Singh, stating that his comments "reveal the mentality" he has towards the nation.

“ It was not Vinesh’s medal. It was 140 crore Indians’ medal. And he is gloating at her loss,” the working chairman of All India Kisan Congress said.

"Those who celebrated Vinesh’s disqualification, are they deshbhakts? We are fighting for the country since childhood, and they dare to teach us patriotism. They are molesting girls," Punia told India Today.

Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, key figures in last year's protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faces sexual harassment charges, officially joined the Congress on Friday.

"We will work hard to strengthen the Congress and the nation The day Vinesh qualified for the finals, the country was happy but the next day everyone was sad. At that time, one IT cell was celebrating," Punia said at the Friday press conference.

The Congress released its first list of 31 candidates for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections on Friday. Vinesh Phogat has been named as the party’s candidate from the Julana constituency.

Bajrang Punia won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, while Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final. The Haryana Assembly election, with 90 seats up for grabs, will take place on October 5, and the votes will be counted on October 8.