“Only the Congress party knows our cries,” Vinesh Phogat said minutes after he joined the Congress party on Friday. This is a new chapter in his life, the wrestler-turned-politician says he will continue to work for the rights of other athletes.
Referring to the ongoing sexual harassment case against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Singh, Phoghat said, “This is a new chapter in my life. I will work for other athletes so that they don’t have to go through what we naturally
#WATCH | Delhi On joining Congress, Vinesh Phogat said, “I am thankful to Congress party…Kehte hain na ki bure time mein pa lagta hai ki apna kaun hai…When we were dragged on the road, all parties except BJP were with us. I feel proud that I have joined a party that stands… pic.twitter.com/FIV1FLQeXa— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024
Phogat said that when the wrestlers protested on the streets, all political parties except the BJP stood with them.
“I was able to stop wrestling at Jantar Mantar because BJP’s IT cell announced that we have used force. They said I didn’t want to play in the nationals but I did; They said I didn’t want to try, I did… They said I can’t enter The Olympics but I did it… Unfortunately, it was not God’s will,” he said.
“The fight continues, it’s not over. It’s in the Court. We will also win the fight… With the new platform we have today, we will work for the service of the nation. The way we play the game with our hearts, we will give our best to work for people. I want to tell my sister, if there is no one for you, the Congress party will be there, and I can assure you that we will be there,” he added.
‘Will talk one day’…: Phogat in Paris Olympics medal row
The wrestler while talking about his disqualification before the final match at the Paris Olympics said that one day he will reveal the details of the whole controversy. When answering a question about whether there was a political conspiracy behind his disqualification, he said, “It is very emotional for me, I will talk about it in detail. Be patient, I will talk about it,” he said.
Vinesh, who entered the women’s 50kg freestyle final with three convincing wins, including against wrestling royalty Yui Susaki of Japan at the Paris Olympics, missed the gold medal match against eventual winner Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States because she was spotted. 100gm above the limit given in the usual morning weighing.
At a press conference where he joined the party, Venugopal said that Phogat had been issued a show cause notice by the Railways after meeting Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Party sources said the notices were about violating service rules by meeting political leaders.
Venugopal asked if it was a crime to meet the opposition leader and asked the Railway authorities to relieve Phogat and not “play politics”.
Bajrang Punia joins Congress
Meanwhile, wrestler Bajrang Punia, who also joined the big party along with Phogat, said he would work hard to strengthen the Congress party and the nation.
“…What the BJP IT Cell said today is that we just want to do politics…We have written to all women BJP MPs to stand with us but they are still not coming. We paid to raise the voice of women, but now we know that BJP stands for cruelty against women, and all other parties join us. We will work hard to strengthen the Congress party and the nation…The day Vinesh qualified for the final, the country was happy but the next day everyone was sad. At that time there was one IT Cell that celebrated…” said Punia.
#WATCH | Delhi On joining the Congress, Bajrang Punia said, “…What BJP IT Cell said today that we just want to do politics…We have written to all women BJP MPs to stand with us but they are still not coming. We paid to raise the voice of women but now we know that BJP… pic.twitter.com/FGViVeGJLY— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024
Phogat and Punia joined the party in the presence of Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, spokesperson Pawan Khera and Haryana Congress chief Uday Bhan. The two had earlier met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
However, the Congress Party has not confirmed whether these wrestlers will contest the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. He said the party’s election panel would decide to award tickets.
Punia and Phogat were part of the months-long protest over allegations of sexual harassment against former BJP MP and then WFI leader Brij Bhushan Singh in 2023.
The BJP responded
BJP leaders reacted to the development with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini saying that the old party was only doing politics in the name of the wrestlers’ protest.
He said that if he wanted to give party tickets to these wrestlers, he could have given Rajya Sabha tickets, but he was only doing politics.
Party spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra said, “Anyone can join any party, but people and intellectuals will ask, I won’t answer this question, but yes people will ask.”
Senior BJP leader Anil Vij also took a dig at the wrestler saying what could be argued that he wants to be “Congress ki beti” from “desh ki beti”.
“… Agar woh desh ki beti sey Congress ki beti banna chaahti hai, to hamein kya etraaz hai (if Vinesh wants to be a Congress princess than a state princess, what objection can be made),” said the former Haryana Home Minister.
Vij said Congress tried to bring these players from day one and it was at the instigation of wrestlers that they started the movement in Delhi.
It is because of (Congress) instigation that (Delhi) protest is going, if this matter has been done long before, he said.
