'Sher aaya': Brij Bhushan gets hero's welcome, calls sexual harassment case 'conspiracy'

BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was given a hero's welcome Thursday on his first visit to his home district Gonda since being acquitted in a sexual harassment case as he said the allegations by the wrestlers were politically motivated and confined to "good touch" and "bad touch" and nothing beyond that.

The six-term MP from Gonda's Kaisarganj seat and regional strongman also expressed his ambition to continue his political journey, saying he remained eligible to contest parliamentary elections if the BJP chose him.

The former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, however, ruled out any return to the WFI and said he had already served the maximum three terms allowed.

Thousands of supporters lined the route and showered flower petals on his convoy, some using excavators, as Singh, 69, reached Gonda. They also raised slogans of "Sher aaya" (the lion has arrived) and set off fireworks. Scores of vehicles accompanied his convoy.

This was his first visit to Gonda after a Delhi court on Monday acquitted him in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers, including World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat, on grounds of lack of evidence.

Addressing the "Satyamev Jayate" felicitation programme at Nandini Nagar College in Gonda, he said, "I did not pull anyone's sari. There may have been physical contact while putting medals around the wrestlers' necks, which created a storm. The allegations against me were politically motivated."

He went on to add: "The issue was confined to 'good touch' and 'bad touch', and there was nothing beyond that."

Asked about his political future, Singh said he was "eligible" to return to Parliament but was "not above the party", adding that if the BJP decided to field him, the people would ensure his victory.

Singh has indicated on several occasions that he intends to contest the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, suggesting he would run as an Independent if denied a party ticket.

Claiming the verdict had fully vindicated him, Singh said the court had not acquitted him merely for want of evidence but had used expressions such as "honourably acquitted" and referred to a "conspiracy", adding that he won the case because the allegations were false, not because of influence or status. He said the case lasted about three-and-a-half years, during which the court held 127 hearings and examined 27 witnesses.

He also said that the agitation against him was unprecedented and no sexual harassment movement anywhere in the world had attained such proportions.

"Even there was no such movement against US President Donald Trump or against any person accused of rape anywhere in the world," he said.

He said he could have ended the controversy by yielding to pressure but chose not to.

"Had I bowed down in this case, the matter would have ended, but my character would have been assassinated," Singh said.

He also said many people, including children and seers, had suffered because of false cases and backed demands by some Ayodhya seers for a review of laws relating to crimes against women, alleging that they were being misused.

He alleged that the wrestlers' protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar was part of a political conspiracy and claimed 42 senior opposition leaders had joined the agitation. Without naming parties, Singh said the opposition lacked its own agenda and used issues involving farmers, women and children to target the BJP.

The allegations against him surfaced in April-May 2023 when women wrestlers protested at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, accusing Singh, then WFI chief, of sexually harassing wrestlers. World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat, along with wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, was the face of the 36-day sit-in.

On the possibility of initiating legal action against the complainants, Singh said he would take a call only after all legal remedies available to them, including appeals before higher courts, were exhausted.

"The blessings of saints are always with me, and that is why I emerge from every crisis," he said.

Earlier, Singh arrived at the international airport in Ayodhya by a chartered aircraft, where supporters welcomed him with drums, music and slogans. Thousands of supporters lined the route from the airport while flower petals were showered on his convoy.

In Ayodhya, Singh travelled in an open jeep to the Hanumangarhi temple, where he offered prayers from outside and sought blessings from the seers.

During the procession, his elder son and Gonda Sadar MLA Prateek Bhushan Singh waved a mace from the vehicle's sunroof and said, "Truth has prevailed."

After visiting Hanumangarhi, Singh proceeded to Gonda for the "Satyamev Jayate" rally.

Before reaching the venue, he also offered special prayers at the Nandini Gaumata temple.

Elaborate arrangements, including a community feast, were made for the gathering. About 40 quintals of laddoos were prepared, while more than 500 batuks were invited from Ayodhya to welcome Singh.

After Singh's acquittal, Phogat said the women wrestlers had instructed their lawyers to appeal the decision and would move the higher court soon.