BJP Member of Parliament (MP) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment by six women wrestlers, has been invited to a two-day Kambala event taking place in Bengaluru on November 25 and 26. A former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan is expected to felicitate local wrestlers on November 25. Kannada actor Darshan, former BJP MLA Arvind Limbavali, National Consumer Cooperative Federation Chairman Vishal Singh, will be the other guests at the felicitation. The grand Kambala event, organised by a private group called the Bengaluru Kambala Committee, will have four stages where multiple events will be held over the two days.
Read: Actor Darshan accused of abusing wife again, will the film industry stick its neck out now?
Read: 'Did I rape her?' Karnataka BJP MLA retorts when asked about him threatening a woman
TNM reached out to the organisers of the event, who defended their decision to invite the MP. “Karnataka wrestlers won medals in the National Games held in Goa. They got the opportunity because of the Wrestlers Federation and the winners wanted to be felicitated by MP Brij Bhushan,” they said. The organisers said the MP hasn't yet confirmed his presence at the event.
The Kambala event, showcasing the centuries-old agricultural tradition of buffalo racing, will take place at the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru for the first time. Former Chief Ministers BS Yediyurappa and DV Sadananda Gowda have been named as chief guests for the main inaugural programme, which will be held at 10.30 am on November 25. An official invitation list for the two-day event mentions names of several BJP and Congress leaders including Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge, Speaker UT Khader, and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje.
Allegations against Brij Bhushan include not only sexual harassment but also physical abuse, dictatorial functioning, and financial irregularities in the management of WFI. Top Indian wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia have accused him of running the WFI like a ‘fiefdom’.
Earlier this year, Olympic-level wrestlers staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, demanding his removal from the position of WFI president. A late-night meeting with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on January 20 led to assurances that an inquiry committee would be set up, and Singh would be relieved of his duties. Brij Bhushan has vehemently denied all allegations, counterclaiming that the protest was fueled by wrestlers' reluctance to participate in Olympic selection trials.
Typically, Kambala is conducted post paddy harvest in coastal districts, which occurs between November and March. In 2014, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on the sport, citing concerns raised by animal rights activists about the perceived cruelty to buffaloes, which often get whipped during the race. However, responding to advocacy from elected representatives and a segment of the public in coastal Karnataka, the state government in 2017 reinstated the legality of Kambala through the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance.
On October 11, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar participated in the ‘kere pooje’ (groundbreaking ceremony) to commence the Kambala track preparation for the upcoming event. Former Deputy CM and BJP MLA Ashwath Narayan and Congress MLAs NA Harris and Ashok Kumar Rai were present.