TMC censures BJP for granting Lok Sabha election ticket to Brij Bhushan Singh's son in Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj

The BJP dropping incumbent MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faces sexual harassment charges, only to field his son from the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh is shameful and a case of politics of proxy, the TMC said on Thursday.

The BJP dropping incumbent MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faces sexual harassment charges, only to field his son from the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh is ''shameful'' and a case of ''politics of proxy'', the TMC said on Thursday. This also shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not ready to condemn the ''sexual assault'' committed by Brij Bhushan Singh, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said. ''That the BJP has given a ticket to Karan Singh, who is the son of its former star MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, is shameful and disgraceful. Mr Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been accused of serious sexual assault by none other than India's Olympic medal winning women wrestlers,'' she said.

Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president 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. The Delhi Police has filed a charge sheet against him in court.

''He has also been accused under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act for sexual offences against children... To give a ticket to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's son is nothing but the politics of proxy. Karan Singh is a proxy for his father,'' Ghose said.

''It shows that the BJP is not willing to condemn the sexual assault committed by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh'' and its slogans on women empowerment are ''hollow'', she said. The BJP's slogans of ''Nari Shakti, Nari Samman and Beti Bachao'' are all ''hollow, shallow, meaningless and bogus'', Ghose said and added that ''it says it stands for Nari Samman but has given a ticket to a proxy of someone who is accused of serious sexual assault and assault against women''.

''Second, BJP says it's against Parivarwad or family politics... What is this but dynastic politics? The fact is, Mr Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's other son is already an MLA. Now, his other son has also got an MP ticket,'' she said.

Prateek Bhushan Singh represents Gonda in the Uttar Pradesh assembly. ''So one son is an MLA, one son has got an MP ticket, and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh himself will continue to be powerful in the Kaiserganj area. What is this but complete family politics, Parivarwad, dynastic politics?'' Ghose asked. The allegations of sexual harrasment were made against Brij Bhushan Singh by six women wrestlers. Several top grapplers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, had staged a sit-in at Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding that he be sacked as (WFI) president.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)