BJP MP slaps wrestler at sports event in Ranchi
A Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was caught on camera slapping a young wrestler at an event in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on Saturday. The incident occurred during the Under-15 National Wrestling Championship at Shaheed Ganpat Rai Indoor Stadium in the city. Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, the MP, hit the youth twice before he left the stage, a viral video shows.
Why does it matter?
The incident will cause embarrassment to the BJP which is busy preparing for the upcoming round of state polls. But this is not the first time a top politician has indulged in such behavior. Just days ago, Union Minister Ajay Mishra was seen in a video lunging at a reporter and throwing abuses when the journalist asked him about his jailed son.
What happened at the Ranchi event?
The wrestler in question was disqualified from the competition as he was allegedly above the event's permissible age limit of 15 years. However, he kept insisting Singh to allow him to participate and refused to get off the stage following which the MP lost his cool and hit him. Several wrestlers present at the event protested Singh's behavior and demanded an apology.
Who is Brijbhushan Singh?
Brijbhushan Singh is a Lok Sabha member from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh. He also serves as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). In the past, he has represented the Gonda constituency in UP. Saturday's video has sparked angry reactions from many on social media. "What message the BJP is sending to the country? (sic)" a user asked on Twitter.
