Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia has reacted strongly to his four-year suspension for an alleged doping violation, calling it a vindictive move by the government. He claims that the suspension is a result of his involvement in protests against BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his support for women wrestlers. Bajrang also alleged that his bans would be lifted if he joined the BJP. He criticized NADA for using expired testing kits during his sample collection and asserted that the authorities did not acknowledge their mistake.

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• Bajrang Punia accused the government of using his doping suspension as a tool of retaliation.
• The suspension is linked to his participation in protests against BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
• Bajrang claims his bans would be lifted if he joined the BJP.
• The suspension will prevent Bajrang from competing in wrestling or applying for coaching jobs abroad until 2028.
• NADA initially suspended Bajrang on April 23 for doping violations, followed by a suspension from UWW.
• Bajrang defended his refusal to provide samples, claiming NADA used expired kits during the testing.
• He posted on social media about the expired kits, dated 2020, 2021, and 2022.
• Bajrang’s team noticed the expired kits, and they informed NADA but received no response to their complaint.
• Bajrang, along with Vinesh Phogat, joined the Congress Party earlier in 2024.
• He believes the government is trying to break him and force him to bow down.