New Delhi: BJP MP and national wrestling body chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of harassing women wrestlers, has backed away from holding on Monday a previously announced rally in Ayodhya.
Sharan Singh reportedly said that the rally, meant to be a show of the measure of his influence and fan following, had been postponed in the wake of police setting out to probe charges against him.
Meanwhile, the Ayodhya Administration reportedly said that the BJP MP had not sought permission for the rally, further confirming his change of mind.
It is also pointed out that prohibitory orders under Section 144 are already in effect and so a rally of the kind planned cannot be held in the area.
Even as the Wrestling chief reversed his decision, the local authorities reportedly are considering a request by a group of seers for a meeting.
The rally was planned in the face of mounting pressure from protesting wrestlers to remove him as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India.
Brij Bhushan Sharan has not explained the reason for withdrawing the rally, beyond evasively linking it to police probe.
His Facebook post came after details of FIR filed against him emerged and Singh denied the charges, saying that he will ‘hang himself’ if they are proven.
His post today said he served the Lok Sabha for the last 28 years, uniting people of all castes, communities and religions while in and out of power.
‘These are the reasons my political opponents and their parties have falsely accused me,’ the BJP MP further said.
‘Now while police are investigating the charges and respecting the serious instructions of the Supreme Court the 'Jan Chetna Maharali, Let's go to Ayodhya' program has been postponed for a few days,’ he was quoted as saying.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is being probed for allegations in two FIRs including inappropriately touching women athletes, groping, asking inappropriate personal questions and demanding sexual favours.