New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Brijbhushan Sharan Singh became a topic of discussion on social media Saturday after a viral video showed him slapping a youngster at a wrestling event in Ranchi. Singh is also the president of the Wrestling Federation of India.
BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh slaps young wrestler on stage in Ranchi !!
Not a single journalist will ask question to Bjp and no media will show you this !! pic.twitter.com/tzntUB0wxm
— Surbhi (@SurrbhiM) December 18, 2021
माननीय जी, BJP के सांसद है… pic.twitter.com/lXE7m8rgWF
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) December 18, 2021
The incident reportedly took place at Shaheed Ganpat Rai Indoor Stadium in Ranchi’s Khel Village Friday, where the under-15 National Wrestling Championship was being conducted. The youngster assaulted by Singh is believed to have been overage. He allegedly went on to the stage to request the BJP MP, who was the chief guest, to allow him to participate.
The BJP MP represents UP’s Kaiserganj consitutency in the Lok Sabha.
Singh did not answer ThePrint’s calls and messages, but was quoted by news agency ANI as saying that he was angry over the “age fraud” that the boy was allegedly trying to commit.
“This boy came over to the stage and urged us to take part in the championship while he was found guilty of age fraud. I didn’t allow him and politely told him to go down from the stage as we (had) already disqualified 5 more wrestlers, who were found guilty of doing age fraud and they all belong to UP,” the MP was quoted as saying.
Singh said he lost his temper when the youngster didn’t listen to them despite repeatedly being told he was ineligible.
The MP had previously hit the headlines in August this year, when he critised the ministry of sports for dealing directly with athletes under its flagship Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). He had demanded a bigger say in the planning for the Paris Olympics.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
Also Read: PM Modi seeks action against BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargiya for assault on Indore civic officer