In an apparent attempt to appease an alleged insult to Lord Hanuman, the celibate patron deity of the sport, Congress officials on Monday sprinkled "gang jal" at the location of a bodybuilding competition held by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh. Women bodybuilders participated in the competition.
Women bodybuilders posed in front of the image of Hanuman during the 13th Mister Junior Bodybuilding Competition on March 4 and 5. Local Congress leaders then "purified" the venue by sprinkling ganga jal and reciting the Hanuman Chalisa, news agency PTI reported citing party functionaries.
According to the invitation, the event's organising committee includes Prahlad Patel, the city's BJP mayor, and legislator Chaitanya Kashyap as a patron.
A video of the event, which surfaced on social media during the day, showed women bodybuilders posing, leading to former mayor and Congress leader Paras Saklecha accusing Patel and Kashyap of showing "indecency".
Mayank Jat, president of the District Youth Congress Committee, stated that Lord Hanuman will punish those responsible, as stated in the PTI report.
Hitesh Bajpai, the state BJP spokesperson, retorted that the Congress did not want to see women flourish in sports, while some event organisers filed a statement with the police requesting action against the Congress leaders, the report said.
Bajpai stated in his video statement, "Congressmen cannot watch women compete in wrestling, gymnastics, or swimming because it wakes the demon within them. They had nasty eyes toward women on the playground. Aren't they embarrassed?"
Meanwhile, Piyush Babele, the media advisor of MP Congress head Kamal Nath, requested an apology from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stating the event, which was conducted to honour the CM's birthday on Sunday, was "disrespectful to Hindus and Lord Hanuman".
Babele stated his party will boycott Bajpai in television discussions for "supporting obscenity".