Gonda (UP), Jul 22 (PTI) Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said his meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday was not initiated by him but took place at the CM’s invitation, adding that the interaction, held after nearly 31 months, was purely formal and driven by a sense of familial courtesy.
Talking to reporters here on Tuesday after attending an event to honour meritorious students from Nawabganj and Wazirganj blocks at the Nandini Nagar Sports Stadium, the former MP from Kaiserganj in UP sought to dispel speculations surrounding his meeting with Adityanath.
“I had resolved that unless I received a direct invitation from the chief minister, I would not take the initiative to meet him. I received a message through my children and a few officials saying that the CM wished to meet me,” Singh said.
“The meeting was held after nearly 31 months and no political matters were discussed. It was purely a personal and cordial interaction.” Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Singh’s son Prateek Bhushan Singh is a BJP MLA from Gonda seat while his other son Karan Bhushan Singh is a BJP MP from Kaiserganj seat.
Singh, who has been at the centre of political and legal controversies since early 2023 after some wrestlers made allegations of sexual misconduct against him, said that he had not communicated with the chief minister since then.
He recalled that a programme in Gonda was expected to be attended by the chief minister around his birthday in January 2023. However, it was cancelled, and that is when he decided not to seek a meeting proactively.
“The misunderstandings and grievances between us were cleared during this meeting,” Singh said, emphasising the long-standing personal rapport he shares with Adityanath, which he said spans decades.
The one-hour conversation took place at the chief minister’s residence in Lucknow and has drawn considerable attention in political circles, with analysts viewing it as potentially significant ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
During the media interaction, Singh also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he hates Sanatan Dharma and the Manusmriti, and asked the reason behind it.
Extending an invitation to Gandhi to attend a proposed religious event in Nandini Nagar, Singh challenged him to engage in a dialogue on Sanatan values.
“Come and stay in Nandini Nagar (Ayodhya) for a week. I promise, we will send him (Rahul Gandhi) back as a Sanatani,” Singh said.
From January 2 to 7, 2026, Nandini Nagar will host a religious discourse by Satguru Riteshwar Maharaj, expected to draw a daily audience of over one lakh devotees, he said.
Political experts believe the timing and tone of Singh’s meeting with Adityanath could have wider implications for the political realignment in Purvanchal and the BJP’s internal dynamics as the state gears up for the next assembly elections. PTI COR ABN ABN KSS KSS
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