Mr. Brij is an accused of sexual harassment?
On Thursday, instead of MP Brij Bhushan Singh’s name, the BJP named his son Karan Bhushan Singh as the Lok Sabha candidate from the constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
Brij Bhushan Singh is accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior during his tenure as the President of the Wrestling Federation of India.
On BJP's decision to field his son Karan Bhushan Singh as the candidate from Kaiserganj, the #MeToo-accused said he is very thankful to the party.
"I thank the party for this, everyone is excited in the area due to Karan contesting the election this time," he said.
Singh has been accused of touching women athletes inappropriately on the pretext of checking their breath, groping them, asking inappropriate personal questions, and demanding sexual favors.
The top wrestlers, also including Olympic bronze medalist Bajrang Punia and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, hit the streets in 2023 to seek action against Singh.
Brij Bhushan Singh, who stepped down from the post amid a raging protest against him over the sexual harassment allegations by women wrestlers, has denied the charges.
For the ruling BJP, it had been a tightrope act on an influential party MP.
The BJP understands the political influence the MP holds in his respective area.
Therefore, it has chosen his son as his replacement this time, sources said.
The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now.