The BJP on Sunday asked former party MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to avoid making “adverse” comments against Olympic wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, fearing damage in poll-bound Haryana, sources said.

Singh, the former wrestling federation chief who is facing sexual harassment charges, has been firing salvos at the two wrestlers since they joined the Congress on Friday. The Congress has fielded Phogat as a candidate in the Haryana Assembly polls, scheduled on October 5.

Sources said the advisory from the central BJP was communicated to the former MP on Sunday after he went all out and compared Phogat and some other women wrestlers to “Draupadi”. The BJP leadership felt that the comments appeared to be “anti-women”. Phogat and Punia had led a long-drawn sit-in against Singh last year, accusing him of harassing young women wrestlers.

On Sunday, Singh alleged that the dignity of the women had been put at stake by Congress leaders to hatch a political conspiracy against him. He claimed vindication of his charge after the two wrestlers joined the Congress.

“During the Mahabharata, the Pandavas had put Draupadi at stake and lost. The country has not forgiven the Pandavas for this till date. Similarly, the Hooda family (former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son) will not be forgiven for the gamble they have played by putting the honour of our sisters and daughters at stake,” Singh, a political strongman from east Uttar Pradesh, told reporters.

Phogat, who missed a medal at the Paris Olympics as she was disqualified for being overweight by 100 grams, is an icon for Haryanvis and the BJP leadership fears that drawing a comparison with Draupadi’s plight could anger voters. Earlier this year, the BJP had dropped Singh and fielded his son from the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat because of his “anti-women” image.

“Singh has been asked to refrain from making adverse statements to the media against Phogat and other wrestlers from Haryana. The comments can be turned to paint the party as anti-women, causing damage in the elections,” a BJP leader said.

He said party leaders were free to attack Phogat and Punia for “playing into the hands of the Congress” but should avoid “personal attacks”. The Haryana leaders of the BJP too has been cautioned against making any personal comments against the two wrestlers.

Retaining power in Haryana for a third consecutive term against principal challenger Congress is widely seen to be an uphill task for the BJP. The central leadership feels that the party cannot afford to make any mistakes that could turn the tide in the Congress’s favour.

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini too has been slamming the two wrestlers for joining the Congress but taking care not to hurt local sentiments attached to them. “Phogat and Punia are the pride of Haryana and the country but the Congress is using them for politics and it is very unfortunate,” Saini said on Sunday.

Earlier, Saini had been quoted as claiming that Phogat can be defeated by any ordinary party worker. However, he lauded the wrestlers during the interview after being advised by the leadership to be cautious, party sources said.