'Manipur Incident Is Very Sad,' Says Brij Bhushan; Cong Calls Remark 'Ironic'

Singh was granted bail by a Delhi court in the wrestlers' sexual harassment case on 20 July.

Wrestlers have alleged that Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh sexually harassed female wrestlers.

(Photo: PTI)

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexually harassing the country's top wrestlers, reacted to the horrific video of two Kuki women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted in Manipur, saying that "it is a very sad incident."

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken cognisance of it. You must have heard his remarks too. The incident is condemnable," the outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief said while addressing the media on Saturday, 22 July.

Singh, on Thursday, 20 July, was granted bail by a Delhi court in the sexual harassment case filed by six wrestlers. The Delhi Police, who filed the chargesheet in the case on 15 June, said they are "neither opposing nor supporting" the BJP MP's bail.

'Happened in Rajasthan & West Bengal As Well'

Reiterating the BJP's statements about similar incidents happening in non-BJP-ruled states like Rajasthan and West Bengal, Singh said, as per news agency ANI:

"Incidents happened in Rajasthan and West Bengal as well. So many people died during the elections... The situation in Manipur was difficult. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also camped there... The Manipur incident is very sad and PM Modi has also taken cognizance of it."

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as per ANI

Speaking about the wrestlers' case, the MP said, as per ANI, "I had said in the beginning that this [wrestlers' protest] is because of the policy. Now videos of the affected players are coming, they are going to court, so you can understand what was the reason [behind the protest], now it has come in front of the country. Things are becoming clear now."

The Delhi Police had charged him under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Jairam Ramesh Hits Out at Singh

Retweeting visuals of Singh's press conference, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, "This was all that was left to see!"

Congress Kerala's Twitter handle, too, tweeted: "Irony has died a thousand deaths."