• Source:JND
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Kaiserganj Lok Sabha Election 2024: The BJP on Thursday announced the names of some candidates for the ongoing Lok Sabha Election 2024. Among the names was Karan Bhushan Singh, the son of BJP MP and former chief of the Wrestling Federation Of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment of female wrestlers. This sparked massive protests by several athletes including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat.

Reacting to the BJP's announcement, former Indian wrestler and Olympic Medallist Sakshi Malik (Sakshee Malikkh) in an emotional social media said that the "daughters of the country lost". "Daughters of the country lost, Brij Bhushan won. We all put our careers at stake and slept on the streets for many days in the sun and rain. To date, Brij Bhushan has not been arrested. We were not demanding anything, we were only demanding justice," Sakshee Malikkh wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Sakshi Malik was among the athletes who spearheaded a massive protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing the BJP MP of sexually harassing female wrestlers and inappropriate behaviour during his tenure as the WFI Chief. Brij Bhushan, however, has denied all allegations against him. The case against Brij Bhushan is currently in court.

Meanwhile, 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia said that the BJP-led government at the Centre has betrayed the athletes of the country. "This gives a sense of unhappiness to the daughters, sisters, women, and sportspersons of the country. First, the government made a promise to the wrestlers but installed a 'dummy' candidate in the wrestling federation," Punia said, as quoted by IANS.

"Now by giving the ticket to his (Brij Bhushan's) son, the BJP is trying to show that Brij Bhushan has been dropped. But everyone knows that he has influence in everything, from the wrestling federation to politics. The government has betrayed the players."

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Attacking the Centre on the issue of women's safety, Punia said the Modi government gives the slogan of women's empowerment and 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao', but now it should be asked if the daughters should be saved from the BJP or someone else.

"Brij Bhushan showed his clout and influence in the government. Videos of many BJP leaders are going viral, but the party is supporting them. The government has tried to save Brij Bhushan in every way. The job of the government is to provide justice. But, instead of punishing him, the government worked to make him much stronger. This is a bad phase for the sisters and daughters in sports," he said.

Who Is Karan Singh?

Born in 1990, Karan Bhushan Singh is the youngest son of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Karan Bhushan is a national-level double-trap shooter and holds a law degree besides doing a business management course in Australia. He will be making his debut in electoral politics this time from his father's stronghold Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh. Karan Bhushan Singh in 2023 was elected the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh wrestling federation.

In a video on social media, Karan Singh is seen touching the feet of his father, who is seated amid supporters at home. "I am thankful to the party leadership and the public that they have given me an opportunity to serve the people here," he said. Brij Bhushan Singh, on his son's candidature, said, "I am not bigger than the party. I welcome the party's decision."

His elder brother Prateek Bhushan Singh is a BJP MLA. His mother Ketki Devi Singh is a former MP from Gonda. The family enjoys support, particularly among the upper castes in Gonda and nearby districts. Brij Bhushan Singh is a six-time MP and has represented the Gonda, Balrampur and Kaiserganj constituencies.