"Vinesh Phogat Playing Role Of Manthara For Me", Says Wrestling Body Chief

BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by seven women wrestlers, on Tuesday sought to equate grappler Vinesh Phogat with Manthara, a character in the Hindu epic Ramayana.

The Ramayana says Manthara, who was queen Kaikeyi's maid, convinced her the throne of Ayodhya belonged to her son Bharat and that her step son and crown-prince Ram should be exiled from the kingdom.

"The role that Manthara-Kaikeyi played in the Treta yug, similarly Vinesh Phogat is playing the role of Manthara for me," Brij Bhushan Singh told a public meeting here.

He added that earlier thousands of wrestlers were staging protests against him, but now only three husband-wife pairs are left. There is no seventh, he said. "The day the results are out, I will thank Manthara also." The Delhi Police has registered two FIRs against Brij Bhushan Singh after he was accused of sexual harassment by women wrestlers, and is probing the case.

"The wrestlers who were staging protests, they have not been able to tell till today, what happened with them, when, where and how," Brij Bhushan Singh said.

Brij Bhushan Singh said he is facing problems due to these allegations of sexual harassment as former US President Donald Trump, who has been accused of abuse by multiple women, did.

"I am saying this conspiracy is not of today. It has been going on for many days, but something good will happen through this. Only God knows how I am surviving," he said.

"This is a case of good touch-bad touch. False allegations have been levelled on me. The God has made me a medium to fight against these allegations. This is because the God himself never appears. He makes someone a medium. In the same manner, the God has made me the medium to fight these allegations." On Sunday, Brij Bhushan Singh had said he is ready to undergo a narco test provided wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia take it too.

Prominent wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, have been protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar since April 23, accusing the Kaiserganj MP of sexual exploitation.

The Sports Ministry has cancelled all activities of the wrestling federation till the investigation into the allegations of the wrestlers is completed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)