Gonda/Ayodhya, 6 Aug

Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Thursday termed the sexual harassment allegations levelled against him by six women wrestlers as politically motivated, saying the controversy was confined to allegations of "good touch" and "bad touch" and nothing beyond that.

Addressing the "Satyamev Jayate" felicitation programme at Nandini Nagar College in Gonda after his acquittal by a Delhi court, 69-year-old Singh 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 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. Claiming that the agitation against him was unprecedented, Singh said no sexual harassment movement anywhere in the world had attained such proportions.

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

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.

The former BJP Lok Sabha MP, who still wields considerable influence in eastern Uttar Pradesh, 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.

Earlier in the day, Singh received a grand welcome in his home district Gonda, his first visit since being acquitted in the sexual harassment case filed by wrestlers. The BJP leader is a former Lok Sabha MP from Gonda's Kaisarganj seat.

Flower petals were showered on his convoy using excavators. Singh said controversies had followed him throughout his public life and alleged that he was often dragged into them without reason. "The blessings of saints are always with me, and that is why I emerge from every crisis," he said.

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.

Supporters raised slogans of "sher aaya" (the lion has arrived), set off fireworks, and hundreds of vehicles accompanied his convoy. In adjoining 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 the Nandini Nagar Sports Stadium, where a massive rally titled "Satyamev Jayate" was organised. 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 instructed their lawyers to appeal the decision, and they would file it as soon as possible.