Permission Denied to WFI Chief Brij Bhushan to Hold Rally in Ayodhya

Lucknow: The Ayodhya district administration did not give permission to the WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to hold a rally in Ayodhya on June 5.

Amidst the continuing protest of wrestlers against him, the WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has declared that he will address a rally in Ayodhya on Monday “with the blessings of the sadhus”. The protesting wrestlers accuse the WFI chief of sexually harassing women grapplers.

The Ayodhya administration said that in view of other programmes scheduled on World Environment Day on June 5, the permission sought by BJP councillor Chamela Devi on behalf of Singh has been denied.

Singh, in a Facebook post, said he has postponed the ‘Jan Chetna Maharally’ at the Ram Katha Park for “a few days” due to the ongoing police probe into the wrestlers’ allegations against him.

Brij Bhusan is a BJP MP from Kaisarganj in Uttar Pradesh. He said, the rally of sadhus would seek to pressure the government into amending the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to prevent its “misuse”, reported The Telegraph. The MP has not clarified exactly what changes to the act he wants.

Singh faces charges under the Pocso Act, apart from the Indian Penal Code, since one of the seven wrestlers who have accused him of sexual harassment is a minor.