Responding to Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia's decision to join the Indian National Congress ahead of the Haryana Assembly Polls 2023, Olympic medallist Sakshee Malikkh on Friday said that the choice to join political ranks is personal.
Sakshee Malikkh, who was at the forefront of the protest against former WFI chief and BJP strongman Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh alongside Punia and Phogat, said she won't be taking a political plunge like her as she wanted to further the cause of women in wrestling.
FULL REPORT | Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia join Congress ahead of Haryana assembly polls
"I also got several political offers," Sakshi Malik said adding that she refused to take them up because she says she "believes in staying true to my fight for women in wrestling."
#WATCH | Delhi | Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat join the Congress party in the presence of party general secretary KC Venugopal, party leader Pawan Khera, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan and AICC in-charge of Haryana, Deepak Babaria. pic.twitter.com/LLpAG09Bw5
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024
"It is their personal choice to join the party. I believe that we should make sacrifices. Our agitation, the fight for women should not be given a wrong impression... From my end, the agitation continues...I too had received offers but I wanted to see what I started till the end. Unless the Federation is cleaned and the exploitation of women ends, my fight will continue. The fight is genuine and it will continue," Malikkh said.
The Olympic medallist said that her fight was against Brij Bhushan alone and she is not interested in joining any party ranks. "I am apolitical. I work in Railways. My fight was only against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. I am not linked to any party so I will not join any party campaign," Sakshi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
#WATCH | After joining the Congress party, Vinesh Phogat says, "The fight is continuing, it hasn't ended yet. It's in Court. We will win that fight as well... With the new platform that we are getting today, we will work for the service of the nation. The way we played our game… pic.twitter.com/WRKn5Aufv2
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024
Both Punia and Phogat were seen leaving from the residence of Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge earlier today. On Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia met Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the national capital. The polling for the 90-member Haryana Assembly is scheduled for October 5 with counting of votes will take place on October 8.
