Bhupinder Hooda used wrestlers like Pandavas used Draupadi: Brij Bhushan’s latest

On Sunday, Singh said in Gonda: “The wrestlers’ protests might initially have appeared to have been led by women. But it became clear gradually that it was by one family and one akahara… it was being led by Bhupinder Hooda.”

He said: “In the gambling that took place in the Mahabharata, Draupadi was put at stake. The Pandavas lost…. The Hooda family… put the honour of our daughters and sisters at stake.”

A source said BJP chief J P Nadda had issued a warning to Singh over his previous comments against Phogat and Punia.

AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal with wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia during a press conference after joining the Congress party at the party headquarters, in New Delhi, Friday (PTI)

A BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh said: “The party leadership feels that his remarks against Phogat and Punia could go against us as both of them have earned significant support among sections of voters in Haryana… It’s better to avoid such comments.”

Another leader, however, said that Singh has “already done the damage” and that the developments could deeply damage the BJP in the Haryana elections.

Leaders from the Haryana BJP are also learnt to have complained to the leadership that these public remarks against wrestlers will harm the party and its poll prospects.

On Saturday, Singh had claimed that Phogat and Punia were used by the Congress as “pawns” in a “conspiracy” to take control of the Wrestling Federation of India and attack the BJP. “They (Punia and Phogat) were faces… they were mohrey (pawns). They were used like pawns by (former Haryana chief minister) Bhupinder Hooda, the Congress and the Congress family,” he had said.