The political slugfest over wrestler Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joining Congress intensified on Saturday after Congress hit back at former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's comments that Phogat and Punia were the party's pawns.
Reacting to Phogat being fielded as a Congress candidate in Jalna, Singh, who had to step down as WFI president after Phogat and Punia took to the streets against him, added: "They were used like pawns by (former Haryana chief minister) Bhupinder Hooda, the Congress and the Congress family." He added that 'God punished' Phogat for going to Paris Olympics by "cheating".
#WATCH | On Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joining Congress, Former WFI president and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh says, "On 18th January 2023 when the protest started at Jantar Mantar, I had said that this is not a movement of sportspersons, Congress is behind it,… pic.twitter.com/XLcwz34R4R
— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2024
Besides Singh, several BJP leaders too rallied against Phogat. While Haryana BJP leader Gyan Chand Gupta said the Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda sponsored the wrestler's Jantar Mantar protest, Chattisgarh deputy chief minister and BJP leader Arun Sao said the wrestlers' played into Congress's lap. He accused Vinesh Phogat of raising baseless allegations and stated that she was playing politics.
To this, Congress leader Pawan Khera said the wrestlers joined the party because Congress fought for them. "Six players had filed an FIR against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Have you seen what sections he was accused of? How dare he speak like this? We are proud that we stood, are standing and will stand with our daughters," Khera added.
He also took a dig at the BJP stating that the party stands with "whoever that does wrong". He added that Congress fights for the wronged and hence they like the party.
Khera also defended the Hooda family by asking what wrong they did by raising their voice for the wrestlers. "This is what needs to be done. What is the point of politics if we don't stand by them?" he added.
While Phogat joined electoral politics immediately after she joined the Congress, Punia was appointed as the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress. It seems unlikely now that he would be fielded in the polls.
Phogat will contest from Julana in Jind district, a politically significant constituency. The region was at the forefront of the farmers' protest against three farm laws that have since been repealed. She has considerable influence on Julana as that is her marital home. Phogat hails from Balali in Charkhi Dadri district.
