Luis-Brij, an interesting yet contrasting tale of two numero unos, one gets blow & other dealt with kid-gloves

Mobilenews24x7 Bureau

Here is a lesson that India must learn from Spain as how they have least tolerance towards any insult of women.

Here is a bright comparison how a Spanish chief of Royal Spanish Football Federation(RSFF) Luis Rubiales was severely and forthwith punished for an act outrage shown at a woman player and suffered the humiliation as a national villain. Fired from the post.

Luis had allegedly kissed a player during a winning bash, which was not consensual at all. The latter’s all efforts to side step the legal noose failed and was punished .
And now take a look how a more severe and criminal act of India’s Wrestling Federation of India(WFI) was made a caricature and an affront at Indian systems leaving a powerful culprit like Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to bask in the political shelter and rejoice freedom despite all the charges proved against him.
Luis Rubiales, the now-suspended chief of Spain’s football federation RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation), is today his nation’s villain.
One moment, he was at the pinnacle of his career, as Spain’s women’s football team won the World Cup. The next moment, at the medal ceremony at Sydney, after the historic win, he planted an ‘unwanted’ kiss on the lips of Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso.
That was the line, it was all over for him. Since then, no amount of stubbornness helped his macho bluster, or even clever attempts to tar Jenni as a liar, has worked for Rubiales. He was fired and now faces legal proceedings.
Right now someone like Luis must be envious of the art of Brij who has demonstrated the skill of survival.
It is the political affiliation, he belongs to the ruling BJP and is a MP also undeniably wielding adequate influence to silence the party fraternity let alone the police working in all languor despite complaints, FIRs and protests.
He is still afloat and besides the suspension from WFI Brij does not lose any sleep whatsoever.

Despite facing multiple charges of sexual assault by multiple women wrestlers, during events in India and abroad, and even at his own home, Brij Bhusha Singh has not been dislodged.
Despite allegations that add up to more than a kiss, despite some of India’s finest global medal-winning wrestlers – Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshee Malikkh – protesting on India’s streets for months, the powers-that-be in India have not dared to find a replacement for Singh as the head of WFI.

Predating sports czars

It is no match of football but a match between – Luis Rubiales vs Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Spain vs India. Which country responded better to charges of sexual misconduct against one of its sports czars? Which country backed its women sportspersons, and which country let them down?

Surely, for us Indians, the answers to these questions will not make for good reading.
Luis tried brushing it off as a ‘mistake’. He got the RFEF to paint Jenni as a liar, and even threaten her with legal action. Nothing worked and Spanish law and political apparatus rejected him as any other culprit.

Jenni denied that the kiss was consensual, and said that she felt extremely vulnerable at that moment. Like Brij Bhushan Singh, Rubiales also tried talking tough. Addressing the media, he insisted he would not resign, and claimed he was being attacked by ‘false feminists’. But he could not contain the outrage, nor the swift and firm institutional response.
He was immediately suspended by FIFA for 90 days, and the fact that he was a vice president of the mighty Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) didn’t help him. The Spanish government started legal proceedings against him.
But, back in India the national numero uno is still safe in his den, still must be trying to be an ostrich at least till 2024 polls.