Gurugram: Two Olympians-turned-BJP leaders have waded into the growing controversy over the University Grants Commission’s (UGC’s) new anti-discrimination regulations.
Olympic bronze medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt has posted sharp criticism on social media, even invoking Draupadi’s vastraharan (disrobing) episode from the Mahabharata to question the guidelines.
Meanwhile, Olympian boxer Vijender Singh who joined the BJP in 2024, has also raised his voice against the controversial new norms, though not in as hard-hitting a manner as Dutt’s.
Dutt, 42, who joined the BJP in 2019, took to X to register his opposition to the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026.
In two posts over two days, Dutt questioned the provisions, citing concerns about constitutional equality and their potential to deepen social divisions. “If we cannot fight for our children’s future, what is the meaning of life?” he wrote.
In another, he referenced Draupadi’s vastraharan. “The great warriors remained silent, and whatever power and throne they sought through greed, neither the power remained nor the throne. Everyone was destroyed,” he wrote, warning that remaining silent on injustice leads to ruin.
Meanwhile, in a message posted on X earlier this week, Vijender Singh said education should be a bridge to equal opportunity, not a tool for caste segregation.
Dutt’s posts drew mixed reactions on social media. While some users supported his stance, others questioned his silence during previous protests.
“Where were you during the wrestlers’ and farmers’ agitations?” an X user asked, referring to the 2023-24 protests by India’s top wrestlers against alleged sexual harassment by a BJP leader, and the 2020-21 farmers’ protests against the farm laws that were ultimately repealed.
Dutt didn’t respond to ThePrint’s calls and WhatsApp messages seeking comment till the time of publishing this report.
Also Read: ‘Underestimating upper caste unity’: Resentment & resignations within BJP over new UGC rules
‘Will deepen divides’
In his first post, Dutt argued that all communities in India are protected by constitutional guarantees of equality.
“The Constitution provides security to all classes, castes and social equality across the country. The fundamental right to equality belongs to all of us Indians, and our ancestors not only protected it but kept Indian culture alive through their sacrifice,” he wrote.
Dutt further said that pushing young citizens into “darkness without hearing and equality” at the education level would drag the country into a pit.
“Ensuring a secure future and social justice for our children is also our duty and the true interest of the nation,” he added, describing the UGC regulations as a “divisive bill” that would deepen divides and take the country in the wrong direction.
In his second post, Dutt referred to the story of Vibhishana, Ravana’s brother who sided with Ram in the Ramayana.
“If we talk about the meaning of Vibhishana, it means one who never gets angry. But despite this, people do not name their children Vibhishana, because he was a traitor to his lineage,” Dutt wrote.
He then referenced the Draupadi cheer-haran (disrobing) in the Mahabharata. “In the full assembly, during Draupadi’s disrobing, the great warriors remained silent, and whatever power and throne they sought through greed, neither the power remained nor the throne. Everyone was destroyed,” he said.
Dutt added that everyone must face death eventually, and therefore, raising one’s voice against injustice is essential. “The Pandavas were few in number but endowed with qualities and talent, which is why God himself became the charioteer and set the path of truth. No civilisation or culture has survived by suppressing talent,” he wrote.
He said those whose ancestors had defended the country for thousands of years now needed to protest to secure the future of their unborn children.
“Gripped by prejudice, the country is being pushed into a pit, which is boosting the morale of our external enemies. If we do not correct ourselves in time, there will be no place in history and no future,” Dutt warned.
Social media users had sharply divided reactions to Dutt’s posts. A user wrote, “Now that it affects you, you’ve woken up. Where was this concern earlier?”
Others defended Dutt, arguing that speaking up now was better than remaining silent.
Yogeshwar Dutt was born on 2 November 1982 in Bhainswal Kalan village in Haryana’s Sonipat district. His father, Ram Kishan Dutt, was a farmer.
Dutt took to wrestling at the age of eight and went on to become one of India’s most decorated wrestlers.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Dutt won a bronze medal in the 60 kg freestyle wrestling category, defeating North Korean Ri Jong-Myong in the bronze medal bout. He became only the third Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal after K.D. Jadhav in 1952 and Sushil Kumar in 2008 and 2012.
For his Olympic success, Dutt was conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2012. The Haryana government also awarded him Rs 2 crore cash. In 2013, he received the Padma Shri.
Dutt won gold medals at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. He also claimed gold at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
In 2019, he joined the BJP and contested the Haryana assembly elections from the Baroda constituency but lost. He contested again in a 2020 bypoll from the same seat but was defeated by Congress candidate Induraj Narwal. In 2024, he was a ticket aspirant but was not fielded by the party.
‘Worrying sign for nation’s future’
In a message in Hindi, Vijender Singh wrote: “The UGC’s decision to categorise students is a worrying sign for our nation’s future. The youth in our classrooms represent the future of India; let us not fragment them through caste classification. Since the true goal of education is to empower everyone, we urge the UGC to rethink and retract this decision.”
Singh, who became the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal when he won a bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, had joined the Congress in April 2019 in the presence of KC Venugopal ahead of 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
However, ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the former boxer joined the BJP on April 3, 2024 in presence of BJP’s national general secretary, Vinod Tawde.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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