After Anil Vij, Haryana BJP MP tweets in support of Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia

Protesting wrestlers have returned to Haryana from Haridwar, after farm leader Naresh Tikait took their medals before they could drown the same in Ganges river. All except Sakshi Malik returned to their homes in Haryana. While the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in Centre have remained silent over the sexual harassment allegation on BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a Lok Sabha member of BJP from Hisar, Haryana took to Twitter to say the internationally awarded athletes being forced to immerse their medal in Ganga was ‘absolutely heartbreaking’.

The protest is led from the front by three of India's top wrestlers - Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia,  notably all natives of Haryana state, have accused the Indian government of not doing enough to address their charges of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP MP and chief of the Wrestling Federation of India.

BJP MP Brijendra Singh, who is an MP of the Lok Sabha from the Hisar constituency in Haryana took to Twitter to write," I feel the pain and helplessness of our wrestlers forcing them to the brink of throwing away their lifetime of hard work- the medals from Olympics, CWGs, Asian Games in the holy Ganga. Absolutely heartbreaking."

The BJP MP's tweet comes as the very few reactions from the members of the saffron party that are not condemning the protest by the wrestlers, but supporting them. This reaction has also come in sharp contrast to the other BJP members including Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. 

The manhandling of protesting wrestlers by the Delhi Police on Sunday 28 May has been condemned by international organisations like United World Wrestling (UWW), and International Olympic Committee (IOC). The UWW has also threatened to suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) if elections are not held on time. 

BJP MP Brijendra Singh's tweet comes at a time when the saffron party is tightening its belt gearing up for the Lok Sabha Elections, and the Haryana Assembly Elections scheduled to be held in 2024. 

Singh in his tweet highlighted the situation which “forced them to the brink of throwing away their lifetime of hardwork — the medals from Olympics, CWGs and Asian Games — in the Ganga.”

Support has also come from Haryana Home Minister and BJP leader Anil Vij. In early May, Vij had proclaimed his support to the sportspersons agitating against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over harassment allegations, and offered to “take up the matter at the higher level so that it can be resolved amicably”.

Notably, despite the growing support for the wrestlers, the Haryana BJP leadership has yet to officially take a stance on the issue. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has refrained from intervening, stating that "the issue is not related to Haryana" but the players' teams and the union government.

Singh has taken up the matter with BJP President JP Nadda and emphasised how the party's resolution would be at stake and the protest deserves an immediate resolution, Indian Express reported. 

Haryana BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar also told the newspaper that he raised the issue with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, emphasizing that the protesting wrestlers deserve justice.